Table 2.
Baseline characteristics. Values are means (SDs) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristic | Home care (n=100) | Hospital care (n=50) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 70 (8) | 70 (8) |
| Sex: | ||
| Male | 45 | 30 |
| Female | 55 | 20 |
| Smoking history: | ||
| No of current smokers | 34 | 19 |
| No of ex-smokers | 60 | 30 |
| No of non-smokers | 6 | 1 |
| Pack years | 41 (31) | 43 (24) |
| Prebronchodilator FEV1 (litres) | 0.71 (0.33) | 0.65 (0.21) |
| Postbronchodilator FEV1 (litres) | 0.82 (0.37) | 0.76 (0.28) |
| % predicted postbronchodilator FEV1 | 36.1 (17.2) | 35.1 (14.7) |
| Respiratory rate (breaths/minute) | 24 (4) | 23 (4) |
| Arterial blood gases*: | ||
| pH† | 7.4 (0.05) | 7.39 (0.04) |
| pO2 (kPa) | 9.7 (2.9) | 9.0 (1.2) |
| pCO2 (kPa) | 5.2 (1.0) | 5.2 (0.8) |
FEV1, forced expiratory volume in one second.
*
Arterial blood gas measurements were obtained in all patients, but in only 61 patients in home care group and 26 in hospital admission group were measurements recorded on air. These data are recorded here.
†
Geometric mean.