Impact of COPD on the Final Outcome of Patients undergoing Emergency General Surgery and Orthopaedic Procedures in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is considered as an independent risk factor of the lung with high mortality and morbidity especially in patients undergoing Emergency Surgical or Orthopedic procedures. COPD is a common disease in India but its effect on the final outcome of emergency surgical procedures was found to be underreported. Aim of the Study: To diagnose, evaluate and study the impact of COPD on various Emergency procedures of General Surgery and Orthopedics on patients in terms of morbidity and mortality. Materials: 84 patients with COPD undergoing emergency surgeries of General surgery and orthopedics were included. 27 (64.28%) were males and 15 (35.71%) were females with a male to female ratio of 1.8:1 in the General surgery group. There were 31 (73.80%) male patients and 11 (26.19%) female patients with a male to female ratio of 2.8:1 in the orthopedics’ group. The mean age among the General surgery group was 44.25±4.50 years and 42.35±5.15 years in the orthopedics group. Results: Among the 84 patients with COPD undergoing emergency surgeries of General surgery and orthopedics there were 27 (64.28%) males and 15 (35.71%) females. male to female ratio was 1.8:1. There were 31 (73.80%) male patients and 11 (26.19%) female patients with a male to female ratio of 2.8:1 in the orthopedics’ group. The mean age among the General surgery group was 44.25±4.50 years and 42.35±5.15 years in the orthopedics group. 03/42 patients developed stroke; (02- General surgery and 01- orthopaedics). UTI, septicemias and deep wound infections were also encountered in patients (02, 08 and 09 patients in General surgery and 03, 02 and 06 patients in orthopaedics surgeries respectively). There was a statistical significant correlation between the incidences of complications and the pulmonary function values in these patients with COPD. Conclusions: Patients with COPD showed higher adverse events, with a risk of in-hospital morbidity and mortality after emergency General surgery and orthopaedics surgeries. Peri-operative latest controlled protocols, optimization are a must to prevent impact of COPD on postoperative outcomes in the emergency surgeries.