Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In Aboriginal Patients Of The Northern Territory Of Australia: A Landscape Perspective

Subash S Heraganahally,1–4 Sanjiwika L Wasgewatta,1 Kelly McNamara,2,3 Carla C Eisemberg,5 Richard C Budd,1 Sumit Mehra,1,3,6,6 Dimitar Sajkov2,6,7 1Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, NT, Australia; 2Flinders University - College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, SA, Australia; 3Northern Territory Medical School, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia; 4Darwin Respiratory and Sleep Health, Darwin, NT, Australia; 5Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia; 6Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia; 7Australian Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Institute, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaCorrespondence: Subash S HeraganahallyDepartment of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, 105, Rocklands Drive, Tiwi, Darwin, NT, AustraliaTel +61-8-89228888, Fax +61-8-89206309Email hssubhashcmc@hotmail.comBackground: The Aboriginal population of Australia has a higher burden of chronic health conditions than non-Aboriginal Australians. However, there is a paucity of data on clinical and demographic characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in this population.Method: In this retrospective study we evaluated the clinical, demographic and environmental influences in adult Aboriginal patients with COPD living in the regional and remote communities of the Northern Territory of Australia.Results: There were 380 patients (49%) with a diagnosis of COPD of the 767 patients referred to specialist respiratory outreach clinics. The mean age was 57 years (56% were female) and mean±SD BMI was 24.30±7.01 kg/m2. Smoking history was noted in 93% of the study cohort. The most common respiratory symptom was shortness of breath in 62%, and inhaled medications (salbutamol, tiotropium, salmeterol/fluticasone) were used by 79%, 44% and 58% of patients, respectively. Spirometry showed obstructive impairment (FEV1/FVC