Table 2.
Comparison between clinical variables before (phase 1) and after (phase 2) standard therapy
| Phase 1^ | Phase 2^ | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients | 96 (100%) | 96 (100%) | |
| FMD (%) | 10.0±2.8 | 8.3±2.0 | <0.001* |
| pCO2 (mmHg) | 59.3±8.6 | 46.7±5.8 | <0.001** |
| pH (−log[H3O+]) | 7.38±0.03 | 7.40±0.02 | <0.001** |
| pO2 (mmHg) | 59.6±4.9 | 59.7±3.6 | <0.001** |
| Hyperemic blood flow rate (m/sec) | 1.50±0.3 | 1.47±0.3 | 0.001** |
Notes: Data are expressed as the means ± standard deviations or frequencies and percentages for continuous and categorical variables, respectively
*
P-values from paired t-test
**
P-values from Wilcoxon signed rank test
^
Phase 1, patients affected by acute exacerbation of COPD with an arterial blood gas analysis showing pCO2 >45 mmHg before treatment
^
Phase 2, patients in Phase 1 responding to 5 days of standard therapy, with at least a 5% reduction of their respective baseline pCO2.
Abbreviation: FMD, flow-mediated dilation.