Risk factors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) isolation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been associated with a poor prognosis. This meta-analysis aimed to determine significant risk factors for PA isolation among patients with COPD.

A systematic literature retrieval from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was conducted, including studies from January 2003 to September 2024. Case-control and cohort studies exploring the risk factors for PA isolation in patients with COPD were included in this analysis. A random-effects model was applied to estimate the pooled adjusted odds ratio (paOR) or hazard ratio (paHR) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Thirteen eligible studies with a total of 25,802 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Prior systemic steroid therapy (paOR: 2.67; 95% CI: 1.29–5.53; P = 0.008), previous antibiotic treatment (paOR: 2.83; 95% CI: 1.14–6.97; P = 0.02), high “Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, Exercise capacity” (BODE) index (paOR: 4.13; 95% CI: 1.67–10.23; P = 0.002), 6-min walking distance (6MWD) < 250 m (paOR: 4.27; 95% CI: 2.59–7.01; P < 0.001), COPD assessment test (CAT) score > 20 points (paOR: 2.49; 95% CI: 1.46–4.23; P = 0.001), hypoproteinemia (paOR: 2.62; 95%CI: 1.32–5.19; P = 0.006), hospitalizations in the previous year (paOR: 3.74; 95%CI: 1.22–11.49; P = 0.021), Bronchiectasis (paOR = 4.81; 95% CI: 3.66–6.33; P < 0.001) and prior PA isolation (paOR: 16.39; 95% CI: 7.65–35.10; P < 0.001) were associated with PA isolation in patients with COPD.

Our study identified nine risk factors associated with an increased risk of PA isolation in COPD patients. These findings are significant for the early identification of patients at risk for PA isolation, which might contribute to reducing mortality and improving clinical outcomes.