Eosinophilia Is a Favorable Marker for Pneumonia in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Author:
Kang-Mo GU
1
;
Jae-Woo JUNG
;
Min-Jong KANG
;
Deog Kyeom KIM
;
Hayoung CHOI
;
Young-Jae CHO
;
Seung Hun JANG
;
Chang-Hoon LEE
;
Yeon Mok OH
;
Ji Sook PARK
;
Jae Yeol KIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2024;87(4):465-472
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background:Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) expressing eosinophilia experience slightly fewer episodes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), than those without eosinophilia. However, the severity and burden of hospitalized pneumonia patients with COPD involving eosinophilia have not been assessed.
Methods:We evaluated the differences in clinical characteristics between patients with CAP and COPD with or without eosinophilia by a post hoc analysis of a prospective, multi-center, cohort study data.
Results:Of 349 CAP patients with COPD, 45 (12.9%) had eosinophilia (blood eosinophil ≥300 cells/μL). Patients with eosinophilia had a lower sputum culture percentile (8.1% vs. 23.4%, p<0.05), a lower percentile of neutrophils (70.3% vs. 80.2%, p<0.05), reduced C-reactive protein levels (30.6 mg/L vs. 86.6 mg/L, p<0.05), and a lower pneumonia severity index score (82.5 vs. 90.0, p<0.05), than those without eosinophilia. The duration of antibiotic treatment (8.0 days vs. 10.0 days, p<0.05) and hospitalization (7.0 days vs. 9.0 days, p<0.05) were shorter in eosinophilic patients. The cost of medical care per day (256.4 US$ vs. 291.0 US$, p<0.05), cost for the medication (276.4 US$ vs. 349.9 US$, p<0.05), and cost for examination (685.5 US$ vs. 958.1 US$, p<0.05) were lower in patients with eosinophilia than those without eosinophilia.
Conclusion:Eosinophilia serves as a favorable marker for the severity of pneumonia, health-care consumption, and cost of medical care in patients with CAP and COPD.
