Objective To evaluate the clinical value of loop-mediated isothermal amplification chip (LAMP) in pathogen detection for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods We retrospectively analyzed qualified lower respiratory tract specimens from AECOPD patients treated at West China Hospital of Sichuan University between February 2021 and December 2022. Both LAMP and conventional culture methods were performed simultaneously to compare their positive detection rates, pathogen profiles, and diagnostic consistency (Kappa test). Subgroup analysis was further performed based on the site of infection [community acquired pneumonia (CAP) vs. hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP)]. Results A total of 159 patients were included. Among the 159 specimens, the overall positive rate of LAMP was significantly higher than that of the culture method [36.5% (58/159) vs. 30.2% (48/159)]. Significant differences in positive rates were observed for Acinetobacter baumannii (13.8% vs. 11.3%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.4% vs. 7.5%). The LAMP chip method detected mixed infections in 13 cases and additionally identified 6 cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Consistency analysis between the two methods for respiratory pathogen detection showed statistically significant agreement for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Haemophilus influenzae (P<0.05). In the CAP subgroup, only the LAMP method exclusively detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (5.6%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (2.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (0.9%), and Escherichia coli (1.9%). In the HAP subgroup, only the LAMP method exclusively detected MRSA (3.8%). Significant differences in positive rates between the two methods for multiple pathogens were observed in both CAP and HAP groups (P<0.05). Conclusions For pathogen detection in AECOPD patients, the LAMP method offers rapid (only 2 hours), simple and efficient testing, particularly valuable for mixed infection screening. It shows advantages in detecting fastidious pathogens in community-acquired pneumonia, and providing guiding significance for early precise anti-infective therapy.