GERD Linked to Better In-Hospital Outcomes in COPD Patients: A Surprising Discovery

A recent study presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting found that patients hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) when treated for GERD had better in-hospital outcomes, including lower mortality rates and reduced risks for complications like acute respiratory failure and septic shock. Despite these improvements, GERD patients had higher 30-day readmission rates and slightly longer hospital stays. Researchers suggest that GERD treatments might help reduce silent micro-aspirations, but further studies are needed to explore the long-term effects of treatments like proton pump inhibitors on COPD patients.

References: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/hospitalized-copd-patients-gerd-have-better-short-term-2024a1000ifs