Clinical Characteristics, Management in Real World Practice and Long-Term Survival among COPD Patients of Northern Thailand COPD Club Members
Chaicharn Pothirat MD, FCCP*, Nittaya Phetsuk BSc*, Athavudh Deesomchok MD*, Theerakorn Theerakittikul MD*, Chaiwat Bumroongkit MD*, Chalerm Liwsrisakun MD*, Juthamas Inchai MNS*
Affiliation : * Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
Objective : To assess the baseline clinical characteristics, management, and long-term survival of hospital-
based COPD patients in the northern part of Thailand.
Materials and Methods : One hundred and ninety five hospital-based COPD patients from community and
provincial hospitals in the northern part of Thailand were recruited between May and November 2002. They
were followed up for 45 months for survival.
Results : Most of them (71.3%) were in the advanced stage and 41.8% were undernourished. Only a small
fraction of the advanced stage patients (25.7%) estimated their dyspnea severity correctly with the disease
stages. The frequency of the exacerbations increases as the disease become more severe. Only 23.7% of the
advanced stage patients had received regular bronchodilator therapy. No patients had received pulmonary
rehabilitation and long-term oxygen therapy. The 45 months survival was 75.6% in all patients. The severe
group with low BMI had significantly lower survival than the one with normal BMI (67.7 % vs. 89.8 %, p =
0.040).
Conclusion : Most COPD patients in the northern part of Thailand were in the advanced stage. They were
commonly undernourished and exacerbated but still under treated according to standard treatment guide-
lines. BMI tends to influence the long-term survival of the advanced stage patients.
Keywords : Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Severity grading, Dyspnea perception, Treatment guide- lines, Body mass index, Survival outcome
