Viral Profile of COPD Exacerbations According to Patients.
BACKGROUND
To compare the differences between elderly and non-elderly patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) due to viral infections.


METHODS
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation were recruited and classified as elderly (>65 years) and non-elderly (≤ 65 years). Sputum and oropharyngeal samples were assessed, PCR for respiratory viruses and cultures for common pathogens were performed.


RESULTS
247 patients (median age: 69.3±9.5 years) were recruited and categorized into group A: non-elderly patients [n=81 (32.8%), median age 58±5.99] and group B: elderly patients [n=166 (67.2%), median age 74.8±4.8] years. In 133 (53.8%) patients a viral infection was identified and in 34 (13.8%) a bacterial pathogen was isolated from cultures. In 18 (7.3%) patients a double infection (bacterial+viral) was identified. In group B, the presence of cardiac failure (46.6% vs 28.3%, p<0.001), renal failure (10.5% vs 4%, p=0.03), bacterial co-infection (13.8% vs 7.4%, p=0.04), influenza vaccination rates (45.5% vs 215, p<0.001), and longer hospital stay (8.4±4.4 vs 7.5±3.2 days, p=0.02) were higher than group A. The overall rate of viral infections did not differ according to age. A trend to higher rates of infection with parainfluenza 3 [19 (20%) patients in group B vs3 (7.5%) patients in group A, p=0.04] was observed in older patients.


CONCLUSIONS
No differences on the rate and type of viral infections were noted for elderly vs non elderly patients. However, they tended to have more bacterial co-infections that led to AECOPD and longer hospitalization stays compared to non-elderly patients.
Department of Critical Care, University Hospital, ATTIKON, Medical School, University of Athens, Greece.
Dimopoulos
D
G
4th Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, ATTIKON, Medical School, University of Athens, Greece.
Tsiodras
T
S
8th Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Athens Chest Hospital, SOTIRIA, Greece.
Lerikou
L
M
2nd Department of Cytology, University Hospital, ATTIKON, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Aik
A
Chranioti
Department of Pneumonology, General Hospital Nikaias, Piraeus, Athens, Greece.
Perros
P
E
8th Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Athens Chest Hospital, SOTIRIA, Greece.
Anagnostopoulou
A
U
2nd Department of Cytology, University Hospital, ATTIKON, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Karakitsos
K
P
Department of Critical Care, University Hospital, ATTIKON, Medical School, University of Athens, Greece.
Armaganidis
A
A
COPD exacerbations; PCR; elderly; viruses.