Assessment of pharmacotherapy efficacy for the treatment of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with viral infection

   Justification. Knowledge of the differences in response to therapy between phenotypes of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is necessary to improve treatment outcomes.

   Objective: to determine the most effective additional pharmacological methods for virus-associated exacerbations of COPD.

   Material and methods. The study included patients hospitalized with exacerbations of COPD with viral (n = 60) and viral-bacterial (n = 60) infections, and a comparison group with exacerbations of COPD with bacterial infection (n = 60). The diagnosis of COPD was based on spirometric criteria, viral infection — according to the results of PCR-RV of sputum for RNA of respiratory viruses. Treatment was carried out in real clinical practice. The groups were comparable in the use of systemic glucocorticoids, short-acting bronchodilators. Dyspnea was assessed using the TDI index (primary endpoint), lung function (spirometry, diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide), exercise tolerance (6-minute walk test), length of hospital stay (secondary endpoints). The сorrelations were determined with the use of Cox proportional hazards model.

   Results. In the groups with virus-associated and viral-bacterial exacerbations, unlike bacterial exacerbations, the following types of treatment were associated with achieving TDI +1 (odds ratio — OR, 95 % confidence interval — CI): fixed triple combination (OR 2.69; 95 % CI 1.48–4.90; p = 0.010 and OR 2.74; 95 % CI 1.29–3.80; p = 0.031), inhalation of 3 % sodium chloride solution (OR 3.64; 95 % CI 1.45–5.42; p = 0.001 and OR 3.23; 95 % CI 2.15–5.43;\ p = 0.042), antiviral drugs (OR 2.91; 95 % CI 1.15–3.62; p = 0.009 and OR 2.76; 95 % CI 1.31–3.90; p = 0.008). As a result of treatment, an increase in DLco/Va, SpO2 after a 6-minute walk, and a decrease in the length of hospital stay were observed.

   Conclusion. Detection of virus-associated infections is a promising marker for determining indications for prescribing long-acting anticholinergic drugs and beta-adrenomimetics, inhaled corticosteroids, inhalations of hypertonic sodium chloride solution, and antiviral drugs for exacerbations of COPD.

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