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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (cont.)

Outlook

For people with mild COPD, the prognosis is favorable. More severe cases of COPD suggest a worse prognosis. Of those people who are admitted to the ICU with an acute exacerbation, the death rate is 24%. This rate doubles for people aged 65 years or older. The predictors of death due to COPD are as follows:

  • Aging

  • Continued smoking

  • Accelerated decline in FEV1

  • Moderate-to-severe airflow obstruction

  • Poor bronchodilator response

  • Severe hypoxemia

  • Presence of hypercapnia (increased arterial carbon dioxide tension)
  • Development of cor pulmonale (right-sided heart failure)

  • Overall poor functional capacity



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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Symptoms At Onset Of Disease

The eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:

The symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?

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