Studying the role of elevated eosinophils in warning of an acute attack of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disorder, with patients varying in response to treatment. Blood eosinophils are a potential biomarker to stratify subgroups of patients for treatment of COPD. In general, clinical data suggest that in patients with a history of COPD exacerbations, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a higher blood eosinophil count predicts an increased risk of future exacerbations and is associated with improved response to treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (in combination with long-acting bronchodilators). Methods and materials: A descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study to determine the role of elevated eosinophils in warning of an acute attack of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among those who visited the chest clinic or were admitted to the chest diseases department at Al-Mujtahid Hospital in the period between 9/1/2023 and 1/1/2024. The study included 76 patients. They meet the exclusion and inclusion criteria. Results: The sample included 75% males and 25% females, and the most prevalent age group was over 60 years, with a percentage of 76.3%. Death occurred in the hospital in (18%) of the patients. Our study showed that high eosinophils play an important role in predicting the deaths of patients in the hospital, as they increased an eosinophil value higher than 300 increases the probability of death in hospital with a risk ratio of 4.11, and patients with eosinophil levels higher than 1500 are at high risk of death. An increase in peripheral blood eosinophils is associated with a longer length of stay in the hospital, and high eosinophils are not related to the need for intensive care or a ventilator. Mechanism: High eosinophils in the peripheral blood play a major role in predicting seizure remission and diagnosing acute exacerbations. Conclusion: Blood acids must be monitored when acute attacks occur because they have an important role in diagnosing an acute attack and also have a role in predicting the decline of the attack, predicting mortality, and the length of stay in the hospital.