Patients admitted to hospital with an acute exacerbation of COPD will be approached to participate in the study.
The investigators will analyse changes in lung capacity (through measurement of spirometry and inspiratory capacity) and physical activity level over the first three days of admission, at discharge and at a day 30 follow-up visit. The investigators will record quality of life and symptom scores at these time points and again at a day 90 telephone visit. Data relating to the patients overall health status -disease severity, co-morbidity, cognition, psychological status, home environment and adherence to inhaled medication will be collected. The investigators will look for any relationship between these changes and a further exacerbations within 30 and 90 days.
The central hypothesis of this proposal is that the clinical course following an exacerbation of COPD may be monitored through measurement of inspiratory capacity(IC), a marker of lung hyperinflation. Resolution of an exacerbation is related to an increase in inspiratory capacity above a threshold level of improvement, after which the risk of re-exacerbation within the subsequent 30 and 90 days is low. The investigators will assess the accuracy of IC as a predictor of exacerbation and the feasibility of measuring IC during the early stages of a COPD exacerbation.
