title: The costs of hospitalization in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem. It imparts a substantial economic burden on individuals and society. Acute exacerbations are the main cause of hospital admissions and hospitalizations in patients with COPD in Turkey.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine the costs of hospitalization in patients with acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 7832 (1556 women, 6276 men) patients were hospitalized due to acute exacerbations of COPD between 2005-2009 in the Samsun Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Hospital, northern Turkey. The mean age was 64.6 ± 19.8 years old and median length of hospital stay was 14.8 ± 9.5 days. The mean cost per admission was US$718 ± 364. Drug costs accounted for the largest portion (53.5%) of the mean cost, followed by bed cost (19.6%). One hundred seventy-four (2.2%) of the total hospitalized patients with AECOPD died in hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AECOPD continues to have both significant economic burden and high mortality rate.
authors.affiliation: Rize University, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Rize, Turkey;
authors.forename: Sevket
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozkaya
authors.forename: Serhat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Findik
authors.forename: Atilla Guven
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Atici