Length of Stay and Comorbidities Prevalence Among Individuals With COPD in National Guard Health Affairs,Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity, with increasing prevalence and significant healthcare costs .However, there is a lack of updated evidence on comorbidities prevalence, length of stay (LOS), and its predictors among people with COPD in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to investigate the average LOS, LOS predictors, comorbidities prevalence, and admission rate among individuals with COPD who are admitted to a tertiary care center in Riyadh.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted in five different hospitals of the National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA) in Saudi Arabia from 2017-2022. The study included adult individuals with COPD who met the inclusion criteria, which required a diagnosis of COPD and active registration within NGHA for at least one year. The validity of the diagnosis was confirmed using the results from pulmonary function tests. Negative binomial regression was used to calculate the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for prolonged hospital stay, while logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictors of COPD in relation to demographic and clinical variables. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMARC). (IRB No, IRB/1260/22)

Results:

This study analyzed 629 patients with COPD diagnoses, with a mean age of 74 years and a majority of female patients. The median length of hospital stay was 5 days, and hypertension was the most common comorbidity among all populations (78.8%).based on the study findings, male gender was strongly associated with prolonged length of stay with a P value of 0.048. On the same hand, the presence of cancer and neurological disease increased the likelihood of longer hospital stays among COPD patients, with incidence estimations of 45% and 19%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Male gender, cancer, and neurological disease are strong predictors for longer hospital stays among COPD patients. These findings highlight the need for healthcare providers to pay close attention to the presence of these comorbidities when managing COPD patients in order to reduce hospital stays and improve the quality of life for these vulnerable patients. This may involve implementing targeted treatments and interventions for cancer and neurological disease, as well as providing COPD patients with education and resources to help them manage their condition and prevent exacerbations.