Mortality in Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Lower and Higher Decaf Scores

Background: To determine diagnostic accuracy of DECAF score in predicting mortality in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease having DECAF score <4 and within 7 days of hospital admission keeping actual mortality as gold standard. Methods: In this cross sectional validation study, 146 Patients with COPD were selected from emergency and OPD of Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi presenting with signs and symptoms of acute exacerbation of COPD from 15 may 2017-15 Nov. 2017.The procedure began after taking informed consent of the patients. Clinical features documented and investigations were sent. The expense of all the tests was borne by the hospital administration and not the patient. A specially designed Performa was used for data collection. RESULTS: Mean age (years) in the study is 64.90+0.93. Patients with DECAF score of 1, 2 and 3 are (2.7+26+35.6 =64.3) are 64 %. The cases with DECAF score of 4 are 26.7% and the cases with DECAF score of 5 and 6 are 8.9%. DECAF score versus mortality with different age groups and duration of smoking gave reasonably high values of sensitivity and, specificity. Also the PPV and NPV values are appropriate. The minimum diagnostic accuracy is 71.23% indicating that this test is appropriate in predicting the true status of the cases.CONCLUSION: The study concludes that DECAF score is a useful predictor of mortality in patients admitted with acute exacerbation of COPD. Patients admitted in hospital with high DECAF score of should be admitted in intensive care unit because they may require invasive ventilation due to respiratory failure and high mortality. KEYWORDS: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute e

Accuracy of MRCP in Comparison with ERCP for Diagnosing Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Pathologies.

Background: To determine the accuracy of magnetic-resonance-cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in comparison with the endoscopic-retrograde-cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the diagnosis of bile duct pathologies.Methods: Patients with suspected pancreaticobiliary pathologies having a clear indication for ERCP were included in this prospective study. MRCP was performed, using a torso phased-array coil.ERCP was performed by duodeno-videoscope and general electric fluoroscopy. MRCP was reviewed by the radiologist who was blinded to the ERCP results.The ERCP was interpreted by an experienced consultant gastroenterologist also blinded to the MRCP results. Results of hepato-pancreatico biliary system from both techniques were compared, according to the pathology found, e.g. choledocholithiasis, pancreatico-biliary strictures, and dilatation. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05, with 95% confidence intervals.Results. MRCP had sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 87%, 80%, 83.3% and 84.2% respectively for choledocholithiasis, which correlates well with results obtained in other parts of the world.Conclusion. MRCP has high diagnostic accuracy for bile duct calculi and is a useful non-invasive technique to diagnose biliary pathologies and avoids unnecessary ERCPs and its complications

Comparison of High Intensity Non-Invasive Ventilation With Low Intensity Non-Invasive Ventilation In Patients With Acute Copd Exacerbation

Objective: To determine the outcome of high intensity non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (HI-NPPV) as compared to low intensity non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (LI-NPPV) in patients with acute COPD exacerbations. Methodology: This Randomized controlled trial Department of PulmonologyFauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi from  31st December 2016 to 30thJune 2017. Arterial blood gases will be taken at admission. If values of pH and paCO2 meet the criteria for non-invasive ventilation then patients will be enrolled in the study. Patients will be randomly divided into two groups by lottery method. GROUP A and GROUP B. GROUP A will receive high intensity NIV (HI-NPPV) and GROUP B will receive low intensity NIV (LI-NPPV) by TRIOLOGY machine. Expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) will remain between 4 to 6 cmH2O.  Arterial blood gases (ABGs) will be done at baseline and then 72 hours after admission. Improvement in PaCO2, HCO3, and FEV1 will be recorded 72 hours from baseline and collected on proforma (attached). Results: Mean age (years) in the study was 55.54+3.81. There were 08 male patients included the study meeting the inclusion criteria. Of these, 05 and 03 male patients among both the groups respectively. Similarly, there were 92 female patients included the study meeting the inclusion criteria, of these, 45 and 47 female patients among both the groups respectively. Outcome of the study was assessed in terms of mean PaCO2 (mmHg), HCO3 (mmol/L) and FEV1 at baseline and after 72 hours. Mean PaCO2, HCO3 and FEV1 at baseline was 64.87+5.22, 33.75+4.17 and 0.66+0.04 respectively. After 72 hours, mean PaCO2 (mmHg) , HCO3(mmol/L), and FEV1 among both the groups was 63.98+6.58 vs 41.46+2.40, 33.10+4.81 vs 23.12+2.01, 0.66+0.05 vs 0.72+0.04 with following P value of (0,000, 0.000, 0.000) respectively. Conclusion: High intensity non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (HI-NPPV) has no different outcome as compared to low intensity non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (LI-NPPV) in patients with acute COPD exacerbations

The Prevalence & Severity of Depression in patients with chronic obstructive airway disease

Objective:  To determine the Prevalence & Severity of depression in Chronic Obstructive Airway Diseases (COPD) patients. Background: Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease is a chronic heterogeneous disease that is also progressive. Depression is a common entity in chronic diseases. COPD causes long-term respiratory symptoms and depression is commonly found in these patients. The symptoms of these two diseases are overlapping and depression in COPD patients’ needs to be diagnosed and adequately treated. Untreated patients lead to poor control of respiratory symptoms and further deterioration of the illness. Our study aimed to determine prevalence and severity of depression in COPD patients using HAM-D score. Material and Methods: This study was conducted in Medicine & Pulmonology OPD, Fuji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi from August 2019 to February 2021. Using a cross sectional study design, a total of 169 cases of COPD were recruited and tested for the presence of absence of depression using the HAM-D rating scale and observations were recorded. Results: Total 169 patients recruited in this study with female & male percentage of 59% and 47% respectively.  The Mean duration of illness was 11.5 years ± 6.48. The incidence of Anxiety & Depression was high (45% and 36%) in moderate to severe disease with total prevalence of 54 % among participants in the study. Conclusion: Anxiety & depression is commonly prevalent in COPD patients. Female patients are found to have more psychological disturbance irrespective to their COPD severity. Psychological impairment must be carefully evaluated in patients having COPD.