IntroductionAcute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is a common reason for presentation to emergency departments (ED), but the management of these episodes is often heterogeneous regardless of their potential impact on short-term adverse outcomes.MethodsThis was a longitudinal, retrospective study of all patients >40 years old admitted to the ED of two Spanish teaching hospitals for an AECOPD between January 1st and May 31st, 2016. All data were collected from electronic medical records. The primary outcomes were patient treatment at discharge and 90-day mortality. Logistic regression was used to model the determinants of 90-day mortality.ResultsOf the 465 included patients, 56% were prescribed a 3-drug combination at hospital discharge, 22% a 2-drug combination, 19% a single drug, and 4% other or no treatment. Approximately 8% of patients died within 90 days after an AECOPD. Multivariate logistic models revealed that having more than 2 severe exacerbations within the last 12 months (OR (95% CI): 15.12 (4.22–54.22)) and being prescribed a single drug at discharge (OR (95% CI): 7.23 (2.44–21.38)) were the main determinants of 90-day mortality after an AECOPD.ConclusionsThis study reflects the real-life heterogeneity in the pharmacological treatments prescribed after an ED admission for an AECOPD and suggests the potential impact of suboptimal inhaled treatment strategies on 90-day mortality rates.
This study indicates a possible association between LFI and a shorter length of stay in the CCU but does not show a significant association with ACS severity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.