Table 1.
Characteristics of the study cohort and comparison by administration of routine treatment at the emergency departmenta
| Variable | Not given n = 88 (%) | Routine treatment n = 256 (%) | Total n = 344 (%) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, median (IQR) | 69 (62–79) | 71 (63–78) | 71 (63–78) | 0.98 |
| Female sex | 30 (34) | 99 (39) | 129 (38) | 0.44 |
| Charlson score, median (IQR) | 5 (3–4) | 5 (4–7) | 5 (3–7) | 0.21 |
| Obese (BMI > 30) | 37 (42) | 77 (30) | 114 (33) | 0.04 |
| Heart failure | 14 (16) | 61 (24) | 75 (22) | 0.12 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 8 (9) | 26 (10) | 34 (10) | 0.77 |
| COPD coded diagnosis | 72 (82) | 218 (85) | 290 (84) | 0.46 |
| Prior COPD exacerbation | 47 (53) | 196 (77) | 243 (71) | < 0.01 |
| Emergency department characteristics | ||||
| Ambulance transfer | 28 (32) | 112 (44) | 140 (41) | 0.05 |
| Increased dyspnea | 75 (85) | 238 (93) | 313 (91) | 0.03 |
| Increased cough | 40 (45) | 155 (61) | 195 (57) | 0.01 |
| Increased mucus | 21 (24) | 100 (39) | 121 (35) | 0.01 |
| Fever (> 38 °C) | 17 (19) | 23 (9) | 36 (11) | 0.01 |
| O2 saturation < 91% | 29 (33) | 161 (63) | 190 (55) | < 0.01 |
| Shift | ||||
| Day (07:00–15:00) | 43 (49) | 125 (51) | 168 (51) | 0.87 |
| Evening (15:00–23:00) | 28 (32) | 81 (33) | 109 (33) | |
| Night (23:00–07:00) | 16 (18) | 39 (16) | 55 (17) | |
| CXR consolidation | 11 (13) | 21 (8) | 32 (9) | 0.23 |
| In-hospital variables | ||||
| SABD during hospitalization | 72 (81) | 250 (98) | 322 (94) | < 0.01 |
| Steroids during hospitalization | 69 (78) | 238 (93) | 307 (89) | < 0.01 |
| Hospital length of stay, median (IQR) | 4 (3–6) | 4 (3–7) | 4 (3–6) | 0.28 |
| In-hospital adverse outcomeb | 5 (6) | 22 (9) | 27 (8) | 0.38 |
Bold values indicate p-value < 0.05
COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, CXR chest X-ray, O2 oxygen, SABD short-acting bronchodilators
aRoutine treatment given at the emergency department, including inhalations of short-acting bronchodilators and/or systemic steroids
bAdverse events include in-hospital mortality, intubation, or transfer to the intensive care unit