TABLE 2.
Encounters initiated and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation characteristics
| GOLD stratum |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 and 2 | 3 and 4 | |
| Encounters initiated, subjects, n (%) | 39 (25) | 31 (23) | 44 (23) |
| Exacerbations according to Anthonisen type, n (%) | |||
| 3 | 7 (19.4) | 10 (33.3) | 7 (15.9) |
| 2 | 11 (30.6) | 9 (30.0) | 17 (38.6) |
| 1 (most severe) | 18 (50.0) | 11 (36.7) | 20 (45.5) |
| Total | 36 | 30 | 44 |
| Exacerbations, n | (n=25) | (n=23) | (n=23) |
| 0 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| 1 | 13 | 5 | 7 |
| 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Exacerbations requiring the following: | |||
| Physician visit, n (%) | 9 (24) | 15 (48) | 15 (36) |
| Emergency department treatment, n (%) | 4 (11) | 0 (0) | 3 (7) |
| Hospitalization, n (%) | 1 (3) | 3 (10) | 7 (17) |
| Exacerbation | |||
| Length*, days (mean ± SD) | 10.1±5.5 | 8.8±5.2 | 11.1±6.7 |
| Length, days, virus positive (mean ± SD) | 11.4±6.3 | 9.6±5.3 | 13.3±7.3 |
| Length, days, virus negative (mean ± SD) | 9.3±5.0 | 8.4±5.2 | 9.8±6.3 |
| Unresolved (no return to normal breathing), n (%) | 4 (11) | 3 (10) | 10 (24) |
| With prednisone prescription, n (%) | 10 (27) | 8 (26) | 17 (40) |
| With antibiotic prescription, n (%) | 13 (35) | 18 (58) | 30 (71) |
| With virus detection, n (%) | 13 (35) | 11 (35) | 17 (40) |
| Per cent postbronchodilator decline in FEV1 at exacerbation from baseline, mean | 7.11 | 2.55 | 0.27 |
*
Data from 91 exacerbations, for which there was no return to ‘normal breathing’ in 19. FEV1 Forced expiratory volume in 1 s; GOLD Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease