STUDY ON SERUM ELECTROLYTES AND SEVERITY OF COPD AS PER GOLD CRITERIA AT OUR TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Abstract

Background: According to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is distinguished by recurrent respiratory symptoms and airflow restriction that are caused by abnormalities in the airways and/or alveoli, which are typically brought on by protracted exposure to hazardous gases or particles. The social and economic burdens formed by acute exacerbations of COPD are very high. Depending on the severity of the condition, patients with COPD had a 5 year overall survival rate that varied from 56% to 92%.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to correlate the serum electrolyte levels with the severity of COPD using GOLD criteria (2021).

Methods: A total number of 180 patients were included in the case control study. This includes 90 patients of stable COPD and 90 patients of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) of age group of 30 to 60 years. 5 ml venous blood was drawn from patients; under aseptic precautions with a clot activator tube. Serum was separated by centrifugation and used for the following biochemical analysis. Serum Sodium, Serum Potassium, Serum Chloride, Serum Ionic Calcium were estimated using Unicorn Lyte 5 Analyzer and Serum Magnesium was estimated using Dimension EXL 200. Statistical analysis was analyzed using Student’s t-test and Chi-Square test for the correlation of serum electrolyte levels with the severity of disease.

Results: There is significant decrease in the levels of serum sodium, chloride, ionized calcium, and magnesium in acute exacerbation (AE) COPD patients as compared to stable COPD patients (p < 0.001). There is no significant difference in the levels of serum electrolytes with the severity of the disease (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: In the present study, we found hyponatremia, hypochloremia, hypocalcemia, and hypomagnesemia in acute exacerbation (AE) COPD patients as compared to stable COPD patients. The present study did not find a statistically significant correlation between the levels of electrolytes and the severity of COPD.