Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older seen in acute care (emergency department or inpatient admission) for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 2006–2010 (N = 52,741)
| Characteristic | N (%) |
|---|---|
| Age, median (interquartile range), yr | 77 (71–83) |
| 65–69 | 9,484 (18.0) |
| 70–74 | 11,524 (21.9) |
| 75–79 | 11,737 (22.3) |
| ≥80 | 19,996 (37.9) |
| Male sex | 23,397 (44.4) |
| Race/ethnicity | |
| White | 47,432 (89.9) |
| Black | 3,554 (6.7) |
| Other/unknown | 1,755 (3.3) |
| Dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid | 12,662 (24.0) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease severity | |
| Prior oxygen use | 19,692 (37.3) |
| Intensive care unit during index admission | 2,218 (4.2) |
| Pulmonary comorbid conditions (in the 12 mo before the index date) | |
| Pneumonia | 22,335 (42.3) |
| Asthma | 14,794 (28.1) |
| Pulmonary hypertension/heart disease | 5,816 (11.0) |
| Lung cancer | 2,957 (5.6) |
| Pulmonary embolism | 1,738 (3.3) |
| Use of continuous positive airway pressure | 1,471 (2.8) |
| Pulmonary fibrosis | 604 (1.1) |
| Nonpulmonary comorbid conditions (in the 12 mo before the index date) | |
| Heart failure | 23,423 (44.4) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 18,637 (35.3) |
| Gastroesophageal reflux disease | 13,826 (26.2) |
| Atrial arrhythmias | 13,612 (25.8) |
| Any solid organ/hematologic malignancy | 9,971 (18.9) |
| Renal failure | 8,983 (17.0) |
| Dementia | 7,425 (14.1) |
| Acute myocardial infarction (or coronary artery disease) | 7,066 (13.4) |
| Major psychiatric disorders | 6,006 (11.4) |
| Hemiplegia, paraplegia, paralysis, functional disability | 3,482 (6.6) |
| Protein-caloric malnutrition | 2,797 (5.3) |
Definition of abbreviation: AE-COPD = acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
AE-COPD was defined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes 491.x (chronic bronchitis), 492.x (emphysema), or 496.x (chronic airway obstruction) in the primary position on an inpatient claim or an emergency department visit (revenue center codes 0450–0459 or 0981).