Factors influencing short-term re-admission and one-year mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
OBJECTIVE
Fourteen day re-admission rates are deemed to be an important indicator of the quality of medical care for COPD in Taiwan. This study identified the characteristics of patients with COPD who required short-term re-admission and analysed the risk factors for 1-year mortality.


METHODS
Consecutive patients with COPD who were re-admitted to hospital within 14 days of discharge and a random computer generated selection of patients with COPD not re-admitted within 14 days of discharge were recruited to the study and their medical data collected from hospital records. Recruitment occurred over an 18-month period.


RESULTS
Fifty patients were recruited to each group. Multivariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in oral steroid use (P = 0.013) and FEV1 (P = 0.04) between the re-admission group and non-re-admission group. Of the many variables assessed, risk of death within 1 year of discharge was significantly associated with re-admission within 14 days alone (P = 0.02; odds ratio = 15.01).


CONCLUSIONS
COPD patients using long-term oral corticosteroids and with a low FEV1 are at risk of re-admission with 14 days of hospital discharge, and medical care of these patients warrants much greater attention.
Liu
Shih-Feng
SF
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Respiratory Therapy, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Lin
Kuan-Chun
KC
Chin
Chien-Hung
CH
Chen
Yung-Che
YC
Chang
Hsueh-Wen
HW
Wang
Chih-Chou
CC
Lin
Meng-Chih
MC
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013147:Spirometry
D005938:Glucocorticoids