[Prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after acute respiratory failure]

We followed the course of 53 patients (male 38, female 15 and average age 66 +/- 10) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalized in our intensive care unit due to acute episode of respiratory failure. Etiologies of acute respiratory failure, patient's clinical data and arterial blood gases analysis were recorded. Most of the results showed no significant difference between the initial survival and the non-survival group. Low hematocrit. hypoalbulinemia and severe hypoxemia were found in the dead group but relative hypercapnea in the survival group was noted. Infection was the most common cause of acute respiratory failure and following by congestive heart failure, pneumothorax and asphyxia. Intubation and mechanical ventilator were needed in all patients except 3 cases to whom only conservative treatment was given. Hospital mortality was 50.9 percent (27/53) and most of the cases (22/53) died in the intensive care unit. Twenty six cases (49.1%) were discharged from the hospital and follow-up was continued for at least two years. Fifteen patients died during two year follow-up and except for one suicide case all died of repeated respiratory failure. The two year survival was only 20.8 percent (11/53). The prognosis of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following an episode of acute respiratory failure is poor.