Utilisation of Spirometry among Hospitalised Patients with Clinical Findings of COPD in A Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

Abstract

Aims and objective: The aim of this study was to determine the rate of spirometry utilisation among hospitalised patients with clinical findings of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Patients and Methods: A case record review of hospitalised patients with clinical findings of COPD from January 2002 to June 2009 from the record of the cardiopulmonary unit of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Ilorin, Nigeria was carried out. Age and sex, hospital stay, admitting physician, and outcome of admission were obtained. Results: A total of 228 patients were hospitalised with clinical findings of COPD, 185 (81.1%) were males and 43(18.9 %) were females. The rate of utilisation of spirometry in hospitalised patients (228) with clinical findings of COPD was 8.3%. More than half of those that had spirometry were aged ≥65 years. Majority (16; 84.2%) of those that underwent spirometry were under the care of the pulmonologist (p<0.001). Age, sex, total days of hospitalisation of patients were not significantly associated with utilisation of spirometry. Conclusions The utilisation of spirometry among hospitalised patients with clinical findings of COPD in this study was very low when compared to the developed countries. Our study has highlighted the experience of a low income country and the need to increase the awareness of the role of spirometry in the evaluation of COPD among doctors.

Keywords

• copd
• spirometry
• utilisation
• nigeria
• respiratory
• hospitalisation