Effect of Hyperglycemia on the Duration of Hospital Stay and Rate of Mortality in Patients of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Acute Exacerbation: A 1-year Hospital-based Observational Study

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not only a respiratory disease but is also a systemic disease associated with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, osteoporosis, etc. Diabetes being one of the comorbidities, COPD is thought to be a causative factor for developing insulin resistance. Similarly, poor glycemic control is associated with worsened COPD outcomes. Thus, this study has been taken up to analyze the effect of hyperglycemia on the duration of hospital stay and rate of mortality, and other outcomes in patients with COPD with exacerbation. Methods: It was an observational study conducted for 1 year in KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Belagavi, Karnataka, India. A total of 84 patients were enrolled and divided into two groups based on the mean random blood sugar (RBS) levels. Group I had 40 patients with mean RBS <250 mg/dL and group II had 44 patients with mean RBS ?250 mg/dL. Outcomes and variables of the patients with COPD were compared between both groups. Results: Patients in group II had poor outcomes compared to group I. The mean duration of hospital stays in groups I and group II were 5.43 and 7.34, respectively, with a significant p < 0.0001. The mean duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 3.33 and 4.47 in groups I and II, respectively, which was statistically significant. The rate of mortality in groups I and II was 5.00 and 11.36%, respectively. Conclusion: Patients with hyperglycemia had an increased duration of hospital stay and rate of mortality. Optimal glycemic control plays a significant role in patients with COPD in reducing the severity of exacerbation and mortality.