Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common global condition, yet real-world data on exacerbations in Vietnamese patients remains limited. This highlights the need for further exploration of clinical complexities in this population. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical and paraclinical features of COPD and identify predictors of exacerbation. Methods: A cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted on 180 inpatients at Vietnam National Lung Hospital from January 2016 to June 2021. Clinical and paraclinical data were collected. Results: The mean patient age was 69.38 ± 9.40 years, with 92.8% male. Common symptoms included dyspnea (97.8%), cough (85.6%), and expectoration (80.0%). GOLD stage distribution was: GOLD III (53.7%), GOLD IV (29.3%), and GOLD II (17.0%). Significant predictors of exacerbation included smoking (OR=2.79), comorbidities (OR=3.95), increased dyspnea (OR=14.83), increased sputum (OR=3.13), decreased alveolar murmur (OR=4.11), wheezing (OR=2.70), white blood cell count ≥10 G/L (OR=4.79), GOLD group D (OR=9.75), and FEV1

Key words: COPD, exacerbation, factors, Vietnam.