Acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis - reality of a Pneumology Department

<b>Introduction:</b> Bronchiectasis (BQ) BQ are the third chronic inflammatory airway disease. Acute exacerbation of BQ is based mainly on increase in volume, purulence and consistency of sputum. <b>Objectives:</b> To characterize the patients hospitalized in a 5 year period with an acute exacerbation of BQ and compare those with only 1 exacerbation to those with 2 or more. <b>Methods:</b> Retrospective study of all patients admitted to the Pulmonology Department of Hospital Geral – CHUC from 2010- 2015 with acute exacerbation of BQ in need of hospital admission. Data was analysed with SPSS®. Patients were divided into two groups based on the number of exacerbations: 1 vs 2 or more exacerbations. <b>Results:</b> 63 individuals, 52.4% male, mean age 73.4 years. 20.6% had COPD, 19% asthma, 19% pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae and 1.6% alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The most common comorbidities were hypertension in 30.2% of patients and heart failure in 20.6%. 44.4% were treated with triple inhalation therapy (ICS, LAMAs and LABAs) and, alone or in combination, 60.3% used ICS. 4.8% were on inhaled antibiotic therapy, 9.5% in domiciliary NIV and 39.7% on long-term oxygen therapy. Bacterial colonization was present in 17.5%. There were 165 exacerbations requiring hospitalization, 47.6% had only 1 and 52.4% had 2 or more. Most patients with more exacerbations (≥2) were on NIV (p=0.016), long term oxygen therapy (p=0.02) and colonized (p=0.005). There was no statistically significant difference for the use of ICS. <b>Conclusion:</b> For this sample, the patients with more exacerbations were either colonized and/or on domiciliary NIV and/or long term oxygen therapy. Those patients etend to have more severe disease.