Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 103, Issue 9, September 2009, Pages 1293-1302
Respiratory Medicine

Characteristics of patients admitted for the first time for COPD exacerbation

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Summary

Background

This study describes the characteristics of a large sample of patients hospitalised for the first time for a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation.

Methods

All subjects first admitted for a COPD exacerbation to nine teaching Spanish hospitals during January 2004–March 2006, were eligible. COPD diagnosis was confirmed by spirometry under stability. At admission, sociodemographic data, lifestyle, previous treatment and diagnosis of respiratory disease, lung function and Charlson index of co-morbidity were collected. A comprehensive assessment, including dyspnea, lung function, six-minute walking test, and St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), was completed 3 months after admission, during a clinically stable disease period.

Results

Three-hundred and forty-two patients (57% of the eligible) participated in the study: 93% males, mean (SD) age 68 (9) years, 42% current smokers, 50% two or more co-morbidities, 54% mild-to-moderate dyspnea, post-bronchodilator FEV1 52 (16)% of predicted (54% mild-to-moderate COPD in ATS/ERS stages), 6-min walking distance 440 m, total SGRQ score 37 (18), and 36% not report respiratory disease. The absence of a previous COPD diagnosis, positive bronchodilator test, female gender, older age, higher DLco and higher BMI were independently associated with less severe COPD.

Conclusions

We show that the patients admitted after presenting with their first COPD exacerbation have a wide range of severity, with a large proportion of patients in the less advanced COPD stages.

Keywords

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Epidemiology
Exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Hospitalisation

Cited by (0)

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The “Phenotype and Course of COPD (PAC-COPD)” Study Group, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona: Josep M Antó (Principal Investigator), Judith Garcia-Aymerich (project coordinator), Marta Benet, Jordi de Batlle, Ignasi Serra, David Donaire-Gonzalez, Stefano Guerra; Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Barcelona: Joaquim Gea (centre coordinator), Eva Balcells, Àngel Gayete, Mauricio Orozco-Levi, Ivan Vollmer; Hospital Clínic-Institut D'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona: Joan Albert Barberà (centre coordinator), Federico P Gómez, Carles Paré, Josep Roca, Robert Rodriguez-Roisin, Xavier Freixa, Diego A Rodriguez, Elena Gimeno, Karina Portillo; Hospital General Universitari Vall D'Hebron, Barcelona: Jaume Ferrer (centre coordinator), Jordi Andreu, Esther Pallissa, Esther Rodríguez; Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona: Pere Casan (centre coordinator), Rosa Güell, Ana Giménez; Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona: Eduard Monsó (centre coordinator), Alicia Marín, Josep Morera; Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat: Eva Farrero (centre coordinator), Joan Escarrabill; Hospital de Sabadell, Corporació Parc Taulí, Institut Universitari Parc Taulí (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Sabadell: Antoni Ferrer (centre coordinator); Hospital Universitari Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca: Jaume Sauleda (centre coordinator), Àlvar G Agustí, Bernat Togores; Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo: Juan Bautista Gáldiz (centre coordinator), Lorena López; Hospital General Universitari, València: José Belda.