Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is understood as a complex and heterogeneous syndrome, which requires an increasingly personalized approach. A new approach to AECOPD recognized that several etiopathogenic mechanisms can lead to a worsening ot the patients. This new approach is based on the identification of different treatable traits (TTs).

The goal of this observational study is to describe how TTs are distributed in patients with AECOPD in primary care (PC) and hospital emergencies department (HED) to address their complexity and heterogeneity.

As a secondary outcomes we also try to evaluate the relationship of TTs with relevant clinical outcomes (relapse, recurrence, MACE (Major Adverse Cardiovascular Event) and all-cause mortality) and create a risk score and compare this new severity score with Rome and GesEPOC proposals.

In the AP group, a series of basic tests for routine use will be systematically performed, among which chest x-ray, electrocardiogram and other new tests such as microspirometry (COPD-6) and a point of care determination of capillary C-reactive protein (CRP). In the HED group routine determinations will be expanded to include blood tests, arterial blood gases and biomarkers (CRP, TnT, NT-proBNP and D-Dimer). Patients will be re-evaluated 90 days after the initial episode, to evaluate different clinical outcomes. The estimated sample size is 400 patients.

Justification COPD exacerbations (AECOPD) are heterogeneous and complex in nature, demanding an increasingly personalized approach. Recently, the ANTES proposal was presented, a patient-centered approach based on the treatable traits (TT) strategy. Other recent initiatives, such as the Rome proposal or GesEPOC, also propose new definitions and ways to classify the severity of AECOPD. However, none of these 3 new proposals have been validated.

Objectives:

• Main: Describe in a systematic way how the different TTs are distributed in patients with AECOPD in primary care (PC) and hospital emergencies department (HED).
• Secondary: (1) evaluate the relationship of the different treatable features with the following clinical outcomes: relapse, recurrence, MACE (Major Adverse Cardiovascular Event) and all-cause mortality; (2) create a risk scale for recurrence, readmission, MACE and/or mortality, both in PC and HED; (3) compare the predictive capacity of the risk scale generated from the ANTES proposal, with the Rome and GesEPOC severity scales; (4): in the subgroup of patients treated in the hospital, compare the 3 risk scales (ANTES, Roma and GesEPOC) with the valid DECAF scale (5); assess whether it is feasible to determine FEV1, through the use of microspirometers, during COPD decompensation; and (6) compare lung function evaluated during decompensation with that obtained after recovery, 90 days after the index event.

Material:

Prospective, multicenter, longitudinal, observational study on patients diagnosed with AECOPD in PC and HED. In the AP cohort, a series of basic tests for routine use will be systematically performed, among which chest x-ray, electrocardiogram and other new tests such as microspirometry (COPD-6) and determination of point of care capillary C-reactive protein (CRP). In the HED cohort, routine determinations will be expanded to include blood tests, arterial blood gases and biomarkers (CRP, TnT, NT-proBNP and D-Dimer). Patients will be re-evaluated 90 days after the initial episode, to evaluate different clinical outcomes (relapse, recurrence, MACE and mortality). The distribution of different TTs will be analyzed and a new predictive risk scale will be created from them, comparing it with the Rome and GesEPOC scales. The estimated sample size is 400 patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men or women who request emergency care (primary care or hospital) due to acute worsening of respiratory symptoms (of any nature)

• Age 40 years or older.

• Smokers or ex-smokers of > 10 pack-years

• Expiratory airflow limitation, documented by any of the following methods:

  • Post bronchodilation FEV1/FVC < 0.7, in a previous forced spirometry, or
  • FEV1/FEV6 less than 0.73 on microspirometry performed during decompensation

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with active neoplasia in the last 3 years.
• Associated pleural effusion susceptible to thoracentesis.
• Pneumothorax.
• Thoracic trauma.
• Impossibility of subsequent follow-up (3 months).

COPD patients managed for worsening respiratory symptoms of any origin, both in primary care (PC group) and in the hospital emergency department (HED group) will be included.