Global mortality and readmission rates following COPD exacerbation-related hospitalisation: a meta-analysis of 65 945 individual patients.

Background: Exacerbations of COPD (ECOPD) have a major impact on patients and healthcare systems across the world. Precise estimates of the global burden of ECOPD on mortality and hospital readmission are needed to inform policy makers and aid preventive strategies to mitigate this burden. The aims of the present study were to explore global in-hospital mortality, post-discharge mortality and hospital readmission rates after ECOPD-related hospitalisation using an individual patient data meta-analysis (IPDMA) design. Methods: A systematic review was performed identifying studies that reported in-hospital mortality, post-discharge mortality and hospital readmission rates following ECOPD-related hospitalisation. Data analyses were conducted using a one-stage random-effects meta-analysis model. This study was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA-IPD statement. Results: Data of 65 945 individual patients with COPD were analysed. The pooled in-hospital mortality rate was 6.2%, pooled 30-, 90- and 365-day post-discharge mortality rates were 1.8%, 5.5% and 10.9%, respectively, and pooled 30-, 90- and 365-day hospital readmission rates were 7.1%, 12.6% and 32.1%, respectively, with noticeable variability between studies and countries. Strongest predictors of mortality and hospital readmission included noninvasive mechanical ventilation and a history of two or more ECOPD-related hospitalisations <12 months prior to the index event. Conclusions: This IPDMA stresses the poor outcomes and high heterogeneity of ECOPD-related hospitalisation across the world. Whilst global standardisation of the management and follow-up of ECOPD-related hospitalisation should be at the heart of future implementation research, policy makers should focus on reimbursing evidence-based therapies that decrease (recurrent) ECOPD.

The impact of the Danish Oxygen Register on adherence to guidelines for long-term oxygen therapy in COPD patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of The Danish Oxygen Register on COPD patients' treatment modalities, survival, and adherence to guidelines for long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). DESIGN: The Danish Oxygen Register. SUBJECTS: 8487 COPD patients who received LTOT in the study period from November 1, 1994, to December 31, 2000. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Follow-up, smoking status, correct prescription of LTOT (15-24h/day), and survival. RESULTS: During the study period an increasing number of patients were prescribed LTOT in connection with discharge after hospitalisation for an exacerbation (1995 vs. 2000: 74.4% vs. 82.2%, P<0.001), were prescribed oxygen 15-24h/day (66.2% vs. 85.5%, P<0.001), had delivered oxygen concentrator or liquid oxygen (77.8% vs. 96.9%, P<0.001), and had mobile oxygen (29.9% vs. 42.8%, P<0.001). Only 65.8% of the patients were followed-up in an outpatient clinic with the possibility of re-evaluation of the criteria for LTOT and adjustment for oxygen flow, with no change during the study period (P=0.43). In a representative subsample, 77.1% had smoking habits or measurement of CO-level registered in 1995 compared to 79.6% in year 2000 (P=0.65), and 25.1% vs. 21.2% (P=0.34) were considered current smokers. The median survival increased from 1.07 to 1.40 years (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to guidelines for LTOT has improved concerning administration of oxygen, but has remained poor concerning follow-up of the patients and smoking cessation. Survival of COPD patients on LTOT has improved during the observation period.

Tablet computers to support outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD.

BACKGROUND: A minicomputer (tablet) with instructions and a training diary has the potential of facilitating adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of adding a tablet to a classic outpatient PR programme for COPD patients. METHODS: A total of 115 patients participated in a 7- to 10-week outpatient PR programme in groups of 10-12 individuals. Half of the groups were assigned to PR plus a tablet (tablet group) and the other groups were assigned to PR only (controls). Primary effect parameters were endurance shuttle walk time (ESWT) and disease-specific health status (COPD Assessment Test=CAT). RESULTS: The change in ESWT was significantly better in the control group (mean 167 sec) compared with the tablet group (mean 51 sec) (p<0.01), whereas the change in CAT score did not differ significantly between the two groups (-0.6 vs. -2.3) (p=0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with usual PR, no significant improvements were seen in the group equipped with the tablet after 7-10 weeks of rehabilitation. Future studies should focus on long-term effects.

Continuous oxygen therapy for hypoxic pulmonary disease: guidelines, compliance and effects.

Continuous oxygen therapy (COT) has become widely accepted in the last 20 years in patients with continuous hypoxemia. This review focuses on guidelines for COT, adherence to these guidelines, and the effect of COT on survival, hospitalization, and quality of life. Guidelines for COT are mainly based on three randomized studies where documentation of hypoxemia (P(a)O2 <60mm Hg) and administration of oxygen at least 15 hours/day, are essential. There is less certainty concerning the required correction for hypoxemia, the attitude against current smokers with hypoxemia, the frequency and methods of follow up, and the effect of prescribing domiciliary oxygen to patients with temporary hypoxemia due to a clinically unstable condition (i.e. short-term oxygen therapy [STOT]). The administration of COT to patients with hypoxemic conditions other than COPD rests on extrapolation of data from COPD patients in the NOTT (Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy Trial) and MRC (British Medical Research Council) studies. Adherence to these guidelines is low in general, and very low in some cases. In some countries, STOT accounts for the majority of all prescriptions of domiciliary oxygen, and because nearly half of these patients do not meet the hypoxemia criteria at 3-month follow-up, re-evaluation is mandatory. Only 35%, approximately, of the patients are followed up, and this is one of the main reasons for poor adherence to the hypoxemia criteria. In order to improve the quality of surveillance of COT, more effort has to be put into education of the patients and staff responsible for COT, centralization of the domiciliary organizations, better equipment for ambulation and traveling, and regular follow-up preferably with home visits. The role of an oxygen register on the quality of surveillance of COT has to be determined. The beneficial effect of COT on survival is well established, and some evidence suggests that COT reduces hospitalization. It appears that ambulatory oxygen from liquid source or lightweight cylinders improves disease-specific quality of life modestly in selected patients who partake in regular outdoor activity. Whether COT from oxygen concentrators improves quality of life significantly is, at present, less clear.

Outcomes of acute exacerbations in COPD in relation to pre-hospital oxygen therapy.

BACKGROUND: Pre-hospital, high-concentration oxygen therapy during acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) has been associated with increased mortality. Recent COPD guidelines have encouraged titrated oxygen therapy with a target saturation range of 88-92%. Oxygen therapy leading to saturation above 92% is defined as 'inappropriate oxygen therapy'. OBJECTIVES: To examine the frequency of inappropriate oxygen therapy and whether inappropriate oxygen therapy in the ambulance in an urban area with short transit time to hospital was associated with poor outcome. METHODS: In an audit of 405 consecutive patients with AECOPD arriving by ambulance to Hvidovre Hospital, details of transit time, oxygen administration, saturation, and arterial blood gases were registered. Outcomes were respiratory acidosis, need of supported ventilation, length of hospitalisation, and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Only 15 patients were not treated with oxygen and information on oxygen flow was missing in seven patients and on saturation on one patient. Altogether, 352 (88.7%) of 397 patients received inappropriate oxygen therapy. Patients on 'inappropriate oxygen therapy' (saturation ≥92%) had a high frequency of respiratory acidosis at hospital admission, 108 (33.5%) of 324 patients, length of stay was on average 5.1 days, 12.5% of the patients needed ventilatory support, and in-hospital mortality was 3.4%. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with AECOPD received inappropriate oxygen therapy in the ambulance, but their need of ventilatory support, length of stay, and mortality were low. Randomised studies are needed to clarify the optimal pre-hospital oxygen therapy.

Trends in long-term oxygen therapy for COPD in Denmark from 2001 to 2010.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate changes in demographics, incidence, prevalence, treatment modalities, and survival of COPD patients on long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) from year 2001-2010 in Denmark. METHODS: All 14,965 COPD patients with COPD treated LTOT in Denmark in the period 2001-2010. RESULTS: During the study period, the incidence and prevalence of COPD patients on LTOT increased from 30.5 to 32.2 per 100.000, and from 42.0 to 48.1 per 100.000, respectively. Mean age of patients increased from 73.4 to 74.8 years, P < 0.001. An increasing number of patients were prescribed LTOT in connection with discharge after hospitalisation for an exacerbation (2001 vs. 2010: 76.5% vs. 91.7%, P < 0.001); were prescribed oxygen 15-24 h/day (85.8% vs. 89.5%, P < 0.001); had mobile oxygen (56.4% vs. 94.2%, P < 0.001), and stopped LTOT alive within 6 months (20.6% vs. 30.8%, P < 0.001). Ninety-nine percent of the patients received oxygen concentrator or liquid oxygen with no change in the study period (P = 0.66). The median survival on LTOT increased insignificantly from 16.5 to 17.8 months (P = 0.12). Women had a lower risk of dying compared with men, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.81 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78-0.84), P < 0.001). During the study period, the risk of death for women, compared to men, decreased significantly with a hazard ratio of 0.978 (95% CI: 0.964-0.992) per calendar year. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of COPD patients on LTOT in Denmark has levelled of during recent years, and the quality of prescribing LTOT and follow up has improved. Women had better survival than men, and this difference has increased during the study period.

Prognosis of patients with alpha1-antitrypsine deficiency on long-term oxygen therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Data on patients with alpha1-antitrypsine deficiency (AATD) on long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) is sparse. The aim of this study was to present the incidence of patients with AATD on LTOT, and compare their characteristics, comorbidities and prognosis (lung transplantation, termination of LTOT, and survival) with COPD patients without AATD. METHODS: A National prospective study of all COPD patients who started LTOT for the first time in the period 01.11.1994 to 31.12.2010. RESULTS: Among the 21,964 patients on LTOT, 234 patients had AATD. AATD patients were more often males and were on average about 17 years younger than patients without AATD. Cardio-vascular diseases and diabetes mellitus were significantly less prevalent among patients with AATD (60.4% versus 70.3% (P < 0.001) and 4.7% versus 12.2% (P < 0.001)), whereas osteoporosis was more frequent (28.5% versus 20.4%, p = 0.002. Eighty-nine (38.0%) AATD patients and 173 (0.8%) non-AATD patients were lung transplanted in the study period. Median survival was 8.7 years in AATD patients with lung transplantation, 3.3 years in AATD patients without lung transplantation, 6.3 years in non-AATD patients with lung transplantation, and 1.6 years in non-AATD without lung transplantation. Even after adjustment for gender, age, comorbidities, and the time between start of LTOT and lung transplantation, patients with AATD had a lower risk of death compared to non-AATD patients (Hazard ratio 0.73 (95% CI: 0.62-0.86; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with COPD without AATD, AATD patients are younger, more often males, have a lower prevalence of cardio-vascular diseases and diabetes mellitus, and higher prevalence of osteoporosis. Moreover, they have better prognosis, partly due to greater chance of receiving a lung transplantation.

[Early supported discharge for patients with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. / Udgående hospital til patienter med eksacerbation i kronisk obstruktiv lungesygdom.

INTRODUCTION: Hospital admissions due to exacerbations of COPD are frequent. UK studies have shown that early supported discharge (ESD) for patients with exacerbations of COPD can reduce the length of stay without adversely affecting mortality or readmission rates. However, experience of ESD in Denmark has not been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hospital admissions due to exacerbations of COPD at Hvidovre Hospital in a 1-year period were reviewed. RESULTS: In the study period, the number of admissions due to exacerbations was 875 and the mean length of stay was 6.3 days in contrast to 5.8 days the previous year; 159 (18.2%) admissions in 108 patients were suitable for ESD. Prior to ESD, the mean duration of in-hospital stay was 4.0 days. Patients selected for ESD had severe COPD with FEV1 31.8% (7-89%) of predicted value. They had on average 3.8 (1-11) home visits in a mean period of 10.5 (1-29) days. While being cared for at home, one patient died and readmission was necessary in 19 (17.6%) cases. Within three months 51.4% of the patients were readmitted and 14.8% died. The income and costs related to ESD were approximately 120,000 EUR and 75,000 EUR, respectively. CONCLUSION: Almost 20% of all admissions were eligible for ESD. Compared to British studies on ESD, our patients had more severe COPD. We cannot determine whether this model of care has reduced days in hospital, but costs and income seem to balance.

[Rehabilitation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Effect of a 7-week programme after 12 months]. / Rehabilitering af patienter med kronisk obstruktiv lungesygdom. Tolvmånederseffekten af et syvugersprogram.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD improves exercise tolerance and health status, but these effects have been shown to decline after stopping the training programme. This study has examined the long-term effect on exercise tolerance and health status of a 7-week rehabilitation programme combined with extensive training at home. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 209 consecutive COPD patients who had completed a 7-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme were assessed with the endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT) and the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) at baseline and at 7, 20, 33 and 59 weeks. RESULTS: 77 (36.8%) of the patients dropped out during the study period. Among the 132 patients who competed the 59-week evaluation, the initial improvement in the ESWT time was 100% (p < 0.001) and 3.8 units (p < 0.001) in the SGRQ. These effects were maintained at the 59-week evaluation (ESWT 63% above baseline; p = 0.02 and improved SGRQ 3.3 units compared with baseline; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A relatively simple and inexpensive 7-week rehabilitation programme with extensive training at home was sufficient to maintain the long-term effect on exercise tolerance and health status.

[Centralisation within the field of pulmonary medicine]. / Centralisering inden for lungemedicin.

In Denmark tuberculosis is rare, with 7.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In regions with few cases, lack of expertise may result in delay in diagnosis, improper treatment, and insufficient contact tracing. We suggest that tuberculosis is dealt with in one centre in each of the five regions in Denmark. LTOT is initiated and controlled by pulmonary specialists in 50% of cases only. Correct indication and follow up is better for patients who received LTOT by pulmonary specialists with a higher patient compliance. We conclude that LTOT should be centralised and treated by pulmonary specialists only.

Outdoor activity and performance status as predictors of survival in hypoxaemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

BACKGROUND: Performance status has been associated with survival in hypoxaemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients on long-term oxygen therapy. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether self-reported outdoor activity and performance status are independent predictors of survival in hypoxaemic COPD patients on long-term oxygen therapy. DESIGN, SUBJECTS AND MAIN MEASURE: In a prospective design, survival over an eight-year period was studied in 226 Danish patients on long-term oxygen therapy. They were subdivided according to self-reported mobility (+/-outdoor activity) and World Health Organization (WHO) performance status (score 0-4). RESULTS: A total of 148 patients (65.5%) reported outdoor activity. Compared to the immobile patients, those reporting outdoor activity had higher performance status, higher body mass index and lower duration of oxygen administration. In multivariate analyses adjusting for body mass index, gender and age, both poor performance status and lack of outdoor activity were associated with poor survival (p-levels 0.006 and 0.045, respectively). Lack of outdoor activity was associated with increased mortality (relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval of dying was 1.39 (1.01-1.91)) and significantly higher risk was found among those with age in the youngest tertile (less than 66.4 years), the relative risk of dying was 2.18 (1.20-3.95). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that self-reported performance status and outdoor activity are independent predictors of survival in hypoxaemic COPD patients on long-term oxygen therapy. However, our study suggests that in the most elderly patients, outdoor activity does not predicting survival. Further studies are needed to determine whether interventions that facilitate outdoor activity (e.g., pulmonary rehabilitation) have an effect on survival in this group of patients.