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Anaemia in chronic respiratory failure
F Kollert1, C Müller, A Tippelt
1Centre for Pneumology, Donaustauf Hospital, Donaustauf, Germany. florian.kollert@uniklinikfreiburg.de
International Journal of Clinical Practice
|March 16, 2011
Summary
Anaemia is common in patients with severe respiratory failure, affecting 13.3% of individuals regardless of obstructive or restrictive lung disease. This condition is linked to older age, comorbidities, and poorer nutritional status.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Hematology
- Critical Care
Background:
- Anaemia is a known complication in severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), impacting survival and quality of life.
- The prevalence and characteristics of anaemia in other severe, non-inflammatory respiratory diseases with chronic respiratory failure (CRF) remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the prevalence of anaemia in patients with severe obstructive disease (OD) or restrictive disease (RD) and CRF.
- To identify clinical and laboratory factors associated with anaemia in these patient populations.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 595 patients with OD or RD and CRF were assessed before initiating home mechanical ventilation.
- Data collected included anthropometrics, laboratory parameters, lung function, blood gases, and comorbidities.
- Anaemia was defined by haemoglobin levels (Hb<12 g/dl for females, Hb<13 g/dl for males), excluding known causes.
Main Results:
- The overall prevalence of anaemia in patients with CRF was 13.3%, with no significant difference between RD (11.5%) and OD (14.7%).
- In OD patients, anaemia was associated with higher age, elevated pH and PaO(2), lower BMI and total protein, and increased rates of coronary heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia, and diabetes mellitus.
- In RD patients, anaemia correlated with higher age, elevated pH, and lower leucocyte counts.
Conclusions:
- Anaemia is a frequent comorbidity in severe respiratory diseases accompanied by CRF, extending beyond COPD.
- Anaemia in this context is associated with advanced age, comorbidities, malnutrition, and possibly hyperventilation (indicated by elevated pH and PaO(2)).
- Further research is needed to determine the prognostic significance of anaemia in patients with severe respiratory diseases and CRF.
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