Table 3.

Laboratory abnormalities in 116 patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admitted to the medical intensive care unit

Variable	%
Polycythemia (PCV >54% in men, >49% in women)	32.8
Leukocytosis [(>12 × 103/mm3), (>12 × 109/l)]	64.7
Neutrophilia [(> 70%), (> 0.7)]	77.6
Elevated ESR (>20 mm at the end of the first hour)	64.7
Hypoalbuminemia [(< 3.5 g/dl), (< 35 g/dl)]	19.0
Hyponatremia [serum sodium < 120 meq/l, (< 120 mmol/l)]	16.4
Hypokalemia [serum potassium < 3.5 meq/l, (< 3.5 mmol/l)]	16.4
Hyperbilirubinemia [(>1.2 mg/dl), (> 20.5 μmol/l)]	06.0
Elevated transaminases [>50 IU/l]	22.4
Elevated blood urea [(>50 mg/dl), (>17.9 mmol/l)]	45.7
Elevated serum creatinine [(>1.5 mg/dl), (> 132.6 μmol/l)]	19.0

ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate