Abstract
BackgroundLittle is known about the management of patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during the last years of life. The aim of the study was to describe how management of COPD is performed in Sweden during the last two years of life.MethodsFrom the nationwide Cause of Death register all individuals with COPD as the underlying cause of death during two years were identified in one sparsely and one densely populated area of Sweden. Data were collected from medical records using a pre-defined protocol, especially developed for this purpose.ResultsOf 822 individuals with COPD as underlying cause of death, medical records from 729 were available. The COPD diagnosis was based on lung function measurements in approximately half of the patients and median age at COPD diagnosis was 74 years (range 34-95). Women died at younger age, median 78 years (range 52-96) than did men (80 years (51-99)). The median survival time from diagnosis to death was 6 years in men and women in both areas. Among women and men 8.3% and 4.3% were never smokers, respectively. The structure of COPD management differed between the two areas, with utilization of physiotherapists, dieticians and working therapists being more used in the northern area, likely because of differences in accessibility to care institutions. ConclusionsIn Sweden COPD is mostly diagnosed late in life and often not verified by lung function measurements. Opposite to the general population, women with COPD die at a lower age than men.
Highlights
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is rare before the age of 40 and becomes increasingly prevalent with increasing age
The aim of this study was to describe the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients during their last two years, based on information obtained from patient medical records in two large Swedish areas covering 19% of the Swedish population
In the study areas 822 patients died with COPD as the underlying cause of death during the study period
Summary
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is rare before the age of 40 and becomes increasingly prevalent with increasing age. From a global perspective the prevalence of COPD has been estimated to approximately 14% in the population above the age of 65 years [1] and is estimated to be the third most common cause of death in 2020 [2]. The COPD diagnosis requires measurement of lung function. Little is known about the management of patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during the last years of life. The COPD diagnosis was based on lung function measurements in approximately half of the patients and median age at COPD diagnosis was 74 years (range 34-95). Conclusions: In Sweden COPD is mostly diagnosed late in life and often not verified by lung function measurements. Opposite to the general population, women with COPD die at a lower age than men
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
