New Tool Identifies Patients with COPD who are at High Risk of Death, Serious Complications

New decision tool can potentially identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are at high risk of severe complications and even death, reveals a new study.

New tool can now help identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are at high risk of serious complications and even death, reveals a new study. The findings of the study are published in the CMAJ.

A new //decision tool to help emergency physicians identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are at high risk of serious complications, including death, performs better than current practice, according to a validation study of the Ottawa COPD Risk Scale.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
COPD includes respiratory tract disorders that cause obstruction to airflow. These are chronic bronchitis, emphysema and small airway disease.

‘New decision tool can potentially detect patients with COPD who are at high risk of severe complications and even death, reveals a new study.’
Read More..

"Before this tool, there was no way to know if a patient who came to the emergency department with a COPD flare-up was going to have dangerous complications," says Dr. Ian Stiell, distinguished professor of emergency medicine at the University of Ottawa and a senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital.

"This new information can help doctors decide whether to admit a patient or send them home."

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mainly caused by smoking, is a common condition that affects breathing and worsens over time.

COPD Patients With Moderately Low Blood Oxygen Levels Do Not Benefit From Oxygen Therapy
COPD patients with moderately low blood oxygen levels do not receive the same benefits from long-term oxygen therapy as those with severely low blood O2 levels.

The study was conducted at six hospitals in Ontario and Alberta with 1415 patients aged 50 years and older who presented at emergency departments with COPD flare-ups. Using the 10-point Ottawa COPD Risk Scale, researchers tested whether they could accurately predict short-term serious complications in these patients. The tool correctly predicted that 135 patients (9.5%) would have serious complications, although 65 (8.3%) of serious outcomes occurred in the 779 participants who were not admitted to hospital.

"As this risk scale has been clinically validated, it can now be used to estimate medical risk and help with decisions about patient discharge or admission," says Dr. Stiell.

World COPD Day - �Never Too Early, Never Too Late�
World COPD Day is observed annually on every third Wednesday of November by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) to raise awareness about the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and improve COPD care throughout the world.

"This should help decrease unnecessary admissions as well as unsafe discharges of patients with COPD who should be admitted."

The Ottawa COPD Risk Scale can be used by respirologists, general internists and family doctors who care for patients with COPD, in addition to emergency physicians.

Self-management Program Benefits COPD Patients
Self-management program for patients with COPD boosts quality of life, cuts rehospitalization, found study.

Dr. Stiell is world-renowned for creating decision rules that improve patient care, including the Ottawa Ankle Rules and the Canadian C-Spine Rule, now available on a mobile app.

"Clinical validation of a risk scale for serious outcomes among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease managed in the emergency department" is published.

Source-Eurekalert