Table 2.
Condition changes during hospitalization and follow-up
| Variables | no corticosteroids | NB | SCS | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 154) | (n = 457) | (n = 130) | ||
| Changes of symptom assessments and laboratory investigations | ||||
| Δ6MWT (m) | 70.0 (33.5, 140.0) | 62.5 (19.8, 152.8) | 49.0 (15.0, 110.0) | 0.190 |
| ΔmMRC | 0 (− 1, 0) | − 1 (− 1, 0)a | 0 (− 1, 0) | 0.026 |
| ΔCAT | − 4.0 (− 8.0, − 1.0) | − 6.0 (− 11.0, − 2.0)a | − 5.5 (− 8.0, − 2.0)b | 0.019 |
| ΔWBC count (× 106/L) | − 1095.0 (− 2692.5, 257.7) | − 870.0 (− 2870.0, 270.0) | − 260.0 (− 2150.0, 1610.0)a,b | 0.016 |
| ΔNeutrophil count (× 106/L) | − 1260.0 (− 3062.5, − 10.0) | − 930.0 (− 2570.0, 275.0) | − 345.0 (− 2397.5, 1575.0)a | 0.024 |
| ΔEosinophil count (× 106/L) | 60.0 (0.0, 120.0) | 40.0 (− 10.0, 130.0) | 0 (− 32.5, 80.0)a | 0.012 |
| ΔPaO2 (mm/Hg) | 11.0 (1.8, 21.5) | 16.9 (0.5, 28.0) | 14.0 (2.3, 21.5) | 0.425 |
| ΔPaCO2 (mm/Hg) | − 1.5 (− 8.0, 1.8) | − 2.0 (− 8.8, 2.0) | − 1.0 (− 8.0, 3.3) | 0.636 |
| ΔSaO2 (%) | 3.0 (0.0, 6.0) | 4.0 (0.8, 9.0) | 3.0 (0.5, 8.0) | 0.396 |
| Inhaler therapy after discharge | 0.000 | |||
| No inhaler, % | 17 (11.0) | 13 (2.8)a | 4 (3.1)a | |
| LAMA/LABA/LABA + LAMA, % | 47 (30.5) | 107 (23.4) | 23 (17.7)a | |
| LABA + ICS, % | 12 (7.8) | 53 (11.6) | 14 (10.8) | |
| Triple therapy, % | 78 (50.6) | 284 (62.1)a | 89 (68.5)a | |
| One year of follow-up | ||||
| Time of first AE after discharge (months) | 4.0 (2.0, 8.5) | 5.0 (3.0, 8.5) | 4.0 (2.0, 6.0) | 0.269 |
| Frequency of AEs in the previous year (times) | 1 (0, 1) | 1 (0, 2) | 1 (0, 2) | 0.336 |
| Incidence of death within six months after discharge (%) | 18 (13.2) | 24 (5.9)a | 7 (6.4) | 0.017 |
| Incidence of death within one year after discharge (%) | 26 (19.1) | 49 (12.1) | 12 (10.9) | 0.080 |
| Long term of follow-up | ||||
| Incidence of death (%) | 53 (45.3) | 129 (35.7) | 36 (35.3) | 0.155 |
Data are presented as the median (IQR) or n (%)
NB nebulized budesonide; SCS systemic corticosteroid; 6 MWD 6-min walking distance; mMRC modified Medical Research Council; CAT COPD Assessment Test; PaO2 partial pressure of oxygen in the artery; PaCO2 partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood; SaO2 oxygen saturation in arterial blood; AE acute exacerbation; LAMA long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonist; LABA long-acting beta(2)-agonist; ICS inhaled corticosteroid
aCompared to the no corticosteroid group, P < 0.05. bCompared with the NB group, P < 0.05
ΔChanges in symptom assessments and examinations (discharge value – admission value)