Elevated Peripheral Blood Eosinophils during Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Prevalence and clinical significance.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of elevated peripheral blood eosinophil (PBE) counts in hospitalised patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) in Oman. An elevated PBE count during AECOPD is a potential predictor of treatment responsiveness and future exacerbation risk. Methods: This single-centre retrospective study included all patients with AECOPD who were admitted to Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between January 2017 and July 2019. The patients were classified as having eosinophilic or non-eosinophilic AECOPD based on blood eosinophil counts. An elevated eosinophil count was defined as a blood eosinophil count >0.3 × 10 Results: Of the 102 patients included in the study, 42.2% had eosinophilic AECOPD. The eosinophilic AECOPD group had a reduced length of hospital stay ( Conclusion: Eosinophilia is highly prevalent in patients with AECOPD and is associated with a reduced length of hospital stay but an increased risk of readmission in a year. It can be used as a surrogate marker to predict the health outcomes of patients with AECOPD and select treatment options.