Table 3.
Reasons for first repeat acute care encounter (emergency department visit or inpatient admission) during the follow-up among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries seen in acute care for an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 2006–2010 by age group (N = 45,852)
| Reason | Age Group, yr |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66–69 | 70–74 | 75–79 | 80+ | |
| COPD (AE-COPD) | 1,999 (24.4) | 2,228 (22.4) | 2,180 (21.2) | 2,990 (17.2) |
| Pneumonia | 484 (5.9) | 699 (7.0) | 749 (7.3) | 1,380 (7.9) |
| Congestive heart failure (nonhypertension) | 252 (3.1) | 399 (4.0) | 456 (4.4) | 1,021 (5.9) |
| Respiratory failure | 365 (4.4) | 429 (4.3) | 312 (3.0) | 476 (2.7) |
| Chest pain | 289 (3.5) | 304 (3.1) | 267 (2.6) | 420 (2.4) |
| Other low respiratory disorders | 215 (2.6) | 274 (2.8) | 238 (2.3) | 425 (2.4) |
| Asthma | 252 (3.1) | 242 (2.4) | 231 (2.2) | 340 (2.0) |
| Dysrhythmia | 152 (1.9) | 212 (2.1) | 235 (2.3) | 406 (2.3) |
| Superficial injury | 144 (1.8) | 168 (1.7) | 195 (1.9) | 404 (2.3) |
| Septicemia | 132 (1.6) | 182 (1.8) | 203 (2.0) | 376 (2.2) |
| Urinary tract infection | 104 (1.3) | 145 (1.5) | 180 (1.8) | 448 (2.6) |
| Other | 3,817 (46.5) | 4,681 (47.0) | 5,027 (48.9) | 8,725 (50.1) |
Definition of abbreviation: AE-COPD = acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Values are summarized as n (%).