Monitoring of the End-tidal Carbon Dioxide (EtCO2) as a Severity Criterion in COPD Exacerbations

The study will be conducted in the emergency departments of Grenoble and Lyon University Hospitals.

Patients will be recruited by the dispatch nurse at the emergency department reception according to the inclusion and non-inclusion criteria. The EtCO2 will be measured at the emergency reception during assessment of vital signs by the same nurse with the help of a mask or oxygen glasses measuring EtCO2. The patient will then be treated conventionally according to current international recommendations. The physician in charge of the patient will be blinded to this measurement. Once the patient is discharged from the emergency department, the primary and secondary endpoints will be collected by a clinical research associate 24 hours after admission from medical record.

Inclusion criteria

• All patient presenting to the emergency department with acute dyspnea and with a history of COPD documented or reported by the patient and/or family
• Male or female≥18 years old who did not oppose to participating in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Hypotension (SBP < 90 mmHg or MBP < 65 mmHg)
• Patient already included in the study during a previous visit to the emergency department
• Patient already ventilated with invasive or NIV during admission to the emergency department
• COPD exacerbation rejected after medical and additional examinations
• Non-communicative or non-French speaking patients, or with impaired comprehension, or with impaired consciousness
• Protected persons referred to in articles L1121-6 and L1121-8 of French public health code (deprived of liberty, tutorship or curatorship)