Predictors of Prolonged Hospital Stay in Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) often results in hospitalization, with significant variation in length of stay (LOS).Identifying factors that influence LOS can enhance discharge planning and reduce the healthcare burden.Objective: To assess the determinants of prolonged hospital stay in patients admitted with AECOPD.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among patients admitted with AECOPD.A total of 50 patients were included.Length of stay was categorized as ≤9 or >9 days.Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment-related variables were analyzed to identify factors associated with prolonged LOS.Results: On univariate analysis, factors significantly associated with prolonged LOS included higher smoking pack-years, diabetes mellitus, lower body mass index (BMI), lower oxygen saturation, higher baseline partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO 2 ), the need for non-invasive ventilation (NIV), and a longer duration of corticosteroid therapy (p < 0.05).On multivariate analysis, the duration of systemic corticosteroid therapy was the only independent predictor of prolonged hospital stay (p < 0.001).Conclusion: A longer duration of systemic corticosteroid therapy was independently associated with prolonged LOS in AECOPD and likely reflects greater disease severity and delayed recovery.