STUDY ON SERUM ELECTROLYTES AND SEVERITY OF COPD AS PER GOLD CRITERIA AT OUR TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Abstract

Background: According to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), chronic obstructive 
pulmonary disease (COPD) is distinguished by recurrent respiratory symptoms and airflow restriction that are caused by 
abnormalities in the airways and/or alveoli, which are typically brought on by protracted exposure to hazardous gases or 
particles. The social and economic burdens formed by acute exacerbations of COPD are very high. Depending on the 
severity of the condition, patients with COPD had a 5 year overall survival rate that varied from 56% to 92%. 
Objectives: In this study, we aimed to correlate the serum electrolyte levels with the severity of COPD using GOLD 
criteria (2021).  
Methods: A total number of 180 patients were included in the case control study. This includes 90 patients of stable 
COPD and 90 patients of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) of age group of 30 to 
60 years. 5 ml venous blood was drawn from patients; under aseptic precautions with a clot activator tube. Serum was 
separated by centrifugation and used for the following biochemical analysis. Serum Sodium, Serum Potassium, Serum 
Chloride, Serum Ionic Calcium were estimated using Unicorn Lyte 5 Analyzer and Serum Magnesium was estimated 
using Dimension EXL 200. Statistical analysis was analyzed using Student’s t-test and Chi-Square test for the correlation 
of serum electrolyte levels with the severity of disease. 
Results: There is significant decrease in the levels of serum sodium, chloride, ionized calcium, and magnesium in acute 
exacerbation (AE) COPD patients as compared to stable COPD patients (p < 0.001). There is no significant difference in 
the levels of serum electrolytes with the severity of the disease (p > 0.05). 
Conclusion: In the present study, we found hyponatremia, hypochloremia, hypocalcemia, and hypomagnesemia in acute 
exacerbation (AE) COPD patients as compared to stable COPD patients. The present study did not find a statistically 
significant correlation between the levels of electrolytes and the severity of COPD