Clinical characteristics, management in real world practice and long-term survival among COPD patients of Northern Thailand COPD club members.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the baseline clinical characteristics, management, and long-term survival of hospital-based COPD patients in the northern part of Thailand.


METHODS
One hundred and ninety five hospital-based COPD patients from community and provincial hospitals in the northern part of Thailand were recruited between May and November 2002. They were followed up for 45 months for survival.


RESULTS
Most of them (71.3%) were in the advanced stage and 41.8% were undernourished. Only a small fraction of the advanced stage patients (25.7%) estimated their dyspnea severity correctly with the disease stages. The frequency of the exacerbations increases as the disease become more severe. Only 23.7% of the advanced stage patients had received regular bronchodilator therapy. No patients had received pulmonary rehabilitation and long-term oxygen therapy. The 45 months survival was 75.6% in all patients. The severe group with low BMI had significantly lower survival than the one with normal BMI (67.7% vs. 89.8%, p = 0.040).


CONCLUSIONS
Most COPD patients in the northern part of Thailand were in the advanced stage. They were commonly undernourished and exacerbated but still under treated according to standard treatment guidelines. BMI tends to influence the long-term survival of the advanced stage patients.
Pothirat
Chaicharn
C
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. cpothira@mail.med.cmu.ac.th
Phetsuk
Nittaya
N
Deesomchok
Athavudh
A
Theerakittikul
Theerakorn
T
Bumroongkit
Chaiwat
C
Liwsrisakun
Chalerm
C
Inchai
Juthamas
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004417:Dyspnea; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009938:Organizations; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology
D001993:Bronchodilator Agents