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. 2015 Oct 15;10:2207–2217. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S91694

Table 4.

Pathways to triple therapy split by exacerbation history

Treatment pathway from date of COPD diagnosis Number of exacerbations at baseline
0 1 2 3+
n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%)
ICS + LABA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 401 (20) 227 (26) 113 (33) 128 (43)
ICS + LABA + LAMA 145 (7) 94 (11) 47 (14) 55 (19)
ICS → ICS + LABA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 183 (9) 76 (9) 37 (11) 14 (4.7)
None → ICS + LABA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 196 (10) 51 (6) 13 (3.8) 8 (2.7)
SABA → ICS + LABA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 83 (4.1) 48 (6) 16 (4.7) 14 (4.7)
None → ICS + LABA + LAMA 127 (6) 18 (2.1) 4 (1.2) 1 (0.3)
None → LAMA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 105 (5) 29 (3.4) 8 (2.4) 5 (1.7)
None → ICS → ICS + LABA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 96 (4.8) 16 (1.9) 4 (1.2) 2 (0.7)
LAMA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 67 (3.3) 24 (2.8) 10 (2.9) 6 (2.0)
SABA → ICS → ICS + LABA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 51 (2.5) 32 (3.7) 8 (2.4) 0 (0)
SABA + SAMA → ICS + LABA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 48 (2.4) 28 (3.3) 7 (2.1) 7 (2.3)
SABA → LAMA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 49 (2.4) 16 (1.9) 7 (2.1) 5 (1.7)
ICS → ICS + LAMA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 33 (1.6) 22 (2.6) 6 (1.8) 5 (1.7)
ICS → ICS + LABA + LAMA 29 (1.4) 8 (0.9) 8 (2.4) 5 (1.7)
ICS + LAMA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 17 (0.8) 15 (1.7) 9 (2.7) 6 (2.0)
LABA → ICS + LABA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 21 (1.0) 12 (1.4) 3 (0.9) 4 (1.3)
None → LABA → ICS + LABA → ICS + LABA + LAMA 30 (1.5) 6 (0.7) 2 (0.6) 0 (0)
Other non-frequent pathways 328 (16) 137 (16) 37 (11) 33 (11)
Total 2,009 (100) 859 (100) 339 (100) 298 (100)

Notes: Pathways with a percent frequency of less than 1% were grouped under the category “other non-frequent pathways”. The first drug listing in the treatment pathway was considered to be the patient’s initial therapy, and the second drug listing was the prescription after the initial date of COPD diagnosis. All percent values >5.0 were rounded up.

Abbreviations: ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; LABA, long-acting β2-agonist; LAMA, long-acting muscarinic antagonist; SABA, short-acting β2-agonist; SAMA, short-acting muscarinic antagonist.