14/06/2011

A recent multicenter study, in which participates Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR) and funded TV3 La Marató, assessed the impact of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in mortality, length of hospital admissions and ICU complications in those who suffer it. The results of this research, where CIBER researchers of Respiratory Diseases (CIBERER) from Hospital del Mar, Joan XXIII Hospital and Hospital Negrin also collaboreted, leave no doubt about the negative effects of snuff: patients with COPD need an average of 14 ventilator days, 24 days in the ICU and 42 days in hospital as a whole. Scientific evidence of these clinical data results in the costs of COPD to the healthcare system and the impact they might have on improving health habits of the people smoking, as well as improved health, hope and quality of life of these patients.The UCI study, published in the latest issue of the journal CHEST, included critically ill patients exposed to mechanical ventilation (breathing machine) with no evidence of respiratory infections and patients with COPD not exacerbated, meaning they are not admitted because of this disease or from complications of COPD itself. The results show that intubated patients with COPD exacerbated are not exposed to a higher risk of ventilation-associated pneumonia, but have higher mortality than other patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).