Value of sputum differential count in chronic obstructive airway disease.

BACKGROUND

Sputum differential count is a useful tool to evaluate airway inflammation in chronic airway diseases. Since COPD (chronic obstructive airway disease) is so common in our setting this simple tool can be used to initiate and follow up treatment and progression of disease process.

METHODS

A prospective cross sectional study was done in Department of Medicine, in a Teaching Hospital from June 2011 to June 2012. All patients admitted with acute exacerbation of chronic airway disease to the Department of Medicine were included in the study and their sputum was sent for differential count.

RESULTS

Predominant cause of chronic airway disease was COPD 61 (85.9%). The sputum of these patients predominantly showed neutrophilia in the differential count with a mean neutrophil count of 82.06%. This was significantly high than the stated 60% in stable COPD. None of the COPD patients had eosinophilia or lymphocytosis. One patient with asthma showed eosinophil count of 12%. In these patients the peripheral blood smear differential did not show correlation with sputum neutrophilia (r2≥002, p≥0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Sputum differential has an important role in management of chronic airway diseases.