Assessing Sleep and Mental Health Disorders in COPD Patients During Severe Exacerbations

Acute exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) frequently result in hospitalization of the patients. The sleep health of patients admitted to the hospital with COPD exacerbations may be overlooked. The objective of this study was to assess and define the prevalence of sleep and mental health complaints among patients admitted with acute exacerbations of COPD.

In this prospective study, patients admitted with an episode of COPD exacerbation at a local community hospital were given a list of questionnaires pertaining to sleep and mental health. These questionnaires included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Questionnaires were administered in a stable, steady state on discharge.

53 patients filled out the questionnaires. 50.9% of patients reported poor sleep quality with scores indicative of chronic insomnia, and 41.2% of patients reported excessive daytime sleepiness on the PSQI. 64% of patients indicated abnormal total scores (<18) on the FOSQ, with 84.3% of patients reporting severe impairment in social outcomes. Clinical depression BDI scores >9) was seen in 73% of patients.

Our results indicate a significant prevalence of sleep and mental health comorbidities in patients hospitalized for acute COPD exacerbations and highlight the need for screening tools and clinical interventions to reduce the burden of these comorbidities.