Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lung condition characterized by chronic breathing symptoms and progressive airflow blockages. A specific type of COPD, known as eosinophilic COPD, involves higher levels of white blood cells called eosinophils and is known to influence disease outcomes and treatment responses. Currently, there is limited data regarding the prevalence and clinical outcomes of eosinophilic COPD in Upper Egypt, particularly among patients at Assiut University Hospitals. The main objective of this prospective observational study is to determine how common eosinophilic COPD is among patients experiencing an acute worsening of their COPD symptoms (an exacerbation) at Assiut University Hospitals. The study also aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with this specific phenotype. Researchers will observe patients over the age of 40 with a confirmed COPD diagnosis who are admitted to the hospital for an acute exacerbation. As part of their standard hospital care, participants will undergo routine clinical assessments, including a review of their medical history, physical examinations, lung function tests (spirometry), and standard blood tests to measure their blood eosinophil count. The study will compare patients with eosinophilic COPD to those with non-eosinophilic COPD. Researchers will specifically evaluate differences in the severity of the exacerbation, the duration of the hospital stay, and the need for ventilator support. The findings aim to contribute to better, more personalized treatment strategies and improved clinical outcomes for COPD patients in the region.

Interoception refers to the process of perceiving and interpreting internal physiological signals and plays a central role in symptom perception. In conditions with a high symptom burden such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), clinical features including dyspnea perception, depression, and sleep quality may be influenced not only by disease severity but also by the interpretation of internal bodily signals. Recent evidence suggests that respiratory-related internal signals are transmitted to the central nervous system through multiple afferent pathways and integrated within cortical and subcortical networks, contributing to subjective experiences such as dyspnea. In this context, dyspnea perception may arise from the interaction between disease severity and interoceptive processes. Depressive symptoms and impaired sleep quality are also closely associated with interoceptive processes and may contribute to the perception of respiratory symptoms. However, studies simultaneously examining interoception, disease severity, dyspnea perception, depression, and sleep quality in hospitalized patients with acute COPD exacerbation are limited. This prospective, observational, cross-sectional study will include 50 individuals aged 40 years and older who are hospitalized with acute COPD exacerbation in a Chest Diseases clinic. Data will be collected at a single time point when patients are clinically stable, without interfering with routine clinical care. Participants will be recruited using a consecutive sampling method. Sociodemographic and clinical data will be obtained from patient records and a structured data collection form. Disease severity will be assessed using oxygen requirement, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and arterial blood gas values when available. Interoception will be evaluated using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2). Symptom burden will be assessed with the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), dyspnea with the Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale, sleep quality with the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), and depressive symptoms with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Depression subscale (HADS-D). Statistical analyses will be performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software. Relationships between variables will be analyzed using Pearson or Spearman correlation depending on data distribution, with a significance level of p\<0.05.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if standard, easily accessible blood tests can help doctors predict the severity and outcomes of sudden flare-ups in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). When a patient's COPD suddenly worsens, an event called an acute exacerbation, it can lead to serious health complications, breathing difficulties, and hospitalization. Currently, doctors need simple and cost-effective ways to figure out early on which patients are at the highest risk for severe complications. This observational study will focus on specific components of a routine Complete Blood Count (CBC) test. Researchers will look at the size, volume, and variation of red blood cells (such as Red Cell Distribution Width, or RDW) and platelets. Both red blood cells and platelets are known to be affected by the body's systemic inflammatory response during a severe COPD flare-up. Participants will include adults over 18 years old who are admitted to the hospital for an acute exacerbation of COPD. As part of the study, researchers will collect and analyze routine clinical data, including: * Medical history and physical examination findings (including dyspnea severity). * Standard laboratory blood tests (evaluating red blood cells, platelets, kidney and liver function, and inflammation markers). * Arterial blood gas levels. * Pulmonary function tests (breathing tests to measure lung capacity). * High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest scans. By analyzing this information, the study aims to determine if red blood cell and platelet indices can accurately predict important clinical outcomes. These outcomes include the need for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, the need for a mechanical ventilator (breathing machine), the total length of the hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality. Identifying reliable biomarkers could help healthcare providers make faster, more targeted treatment decisions for COPD patients.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether nasal high flow is non inferior to non invasive ventilation (NIV) in the early treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD) and hypercapnic acidosis in the emergency department (ED). After obtaining informed consent, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either nasal high flow or non invasive ventilation (NIV, reference treatment) as respiratory support. Researchers will compare both respiratory support groups to see if their blood gas analysis and respiration return to normal ranges.

The goal of this retrospective observational study is to learn about how respiratory support is selected and adjusted in hospitalized patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. How are different respiratory support modalities selected for patients with AECOPD in real-world practice? 2. What clinical patterns are associated with escalation, de-escalation, switching, or discontinuation of respiratory support during hospitalization? Researchers will review de-identified hospital records of patients admitted with AECOPD and analyze the dynamic use of respiratory support during hospitalization, including conventional oxygen therapy, high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation, and invasive mechanical ventilation. Participants will not receive any study-assigned intervention. The study will use existing clinical data collected during routine inpatient care and will not change diagnosis, treatment, or follow-up.

The goal of this observational study is to learn if a traditional Chinese herbal medicine (Xuanfei Jiangzhuo Decoction) works to help older adults recover from a COPD flare-up caused by the flu (influenza virus). The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the herbal medicine help participants feel better and recover faster? Does it lower the chance of getting a second infection from bacteria? Is the herbal medicine safe to use? Researchers will compare participants who choose to take the herbal medicine along with their standard flu treatment (Oseltamivir or Baloxavir) to participants who only take the standard flu treatment (Oseltamivir or Baloxavir). Participants will: Take the herbal medicine (a liquid drink) twice a day for 5 days, or just take their standard flu medicine for 5 days. Visit the clinic 4 times over 28 days for checkups and tests. Provide blood and stool samples to help researchers understand how the medicine affects the body and gut health. Answer simple questions about their cough, breathing, and energy levels.

The establishment of the AECOPD severity assessment model can quickly and accurately evaluate the condition, which is of great significance for standardizing diagnosis and treatment, improving efficacy, and improving prognosis. At the same time, it can provide ideas and methods for the research of disease assessment models in related fields.

The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of Xiyanping injection on the treatment course of intravenous antibiotics for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on real-world clinical data, and to provide guidance and basis for the clinical application of Xiyanping injection combined with antibiotics in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.The secondary objectives is to evaluate the effect of Xiyanping injection on the indicators of acute exacerbation of inflammation and symptom improvement of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

To determine whether high-intensity NPPV, compared with low-intensity NPPV, could have an effect on the subjective tolerance in patients with an AECOPD and hypercapnia.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Chinese Medicine on patients with severe AECOPD, and to provide a basis for the establishment of integrated CM and Western medicine diagnosis and treatment scheme for patients with severe AECOPD.