Table 2.
Baseline COPD characteristics and related utilization, treatment at index
| Baseline characteristic | Total (n = 5475) |
% | ICS/LABA or LAMA (n = 4991) |
% | Triple (n = 484) |
% | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COPD complexity | |||||||
| Low complexity | 2740 | 50.0 | 2556 | 51.2 | 184 | 38.0 | <0.0001 |
| Medium complexity | 2510 | 45.8 | 2239 | 44.9 | 271 | 56.0 | <0.0001 |
| High complexity | 225 | 4.1 | 196 | 3.9 | 29 | 6.0 | 0.03 |
| Emphysema diagnosis | 1210 | 22.1 | 1048 | 21.0 | 162 | 33.5 | <0.0001 |
| SABA use | |||||||
| No SABA use | 2314 | 42.3 | 2119 | 42.5 | 195 | 40.3 | 0.36 |
| SABA use 1–15 % of year | 1435 | 26.2 | 1287 | 25.8 | 148 | 30.6 | 0.02 |
| SABA use 16–40 % of year | 803 | 14.7 | 756 | 15.1 | 47 | 9.7 | 0.001 |
| SABA >40 % of year | 923 | 16.9 | 829 | 16.6 | 94 | 19.4 | 0.12 |
| SAMA use | |||||||
| Any SAMA | 632 | 11.5 | 572 | 11.5 | 60 | 12.4 | 0.54 |
| Any SABA/SAMA | 876 | 16.0 | 784 | 15.7 | 92 | 19.0 | 0.06 |
| Any SAMA or SABA/SAMA | 1381 | 25.2 | 1241 | 24.9 | 140 | 28.9 | 0.05 |
| ICS use, any | 1752 | 32.0 | 1616 | 32.4 | 136 | 28.1 | 0.05 |
| Oxygen use | |||||||
| No oxygen | 3090 | 56.4 | 2851 | 57.1 | 239 | 49.4 | 0.001 |
| Oxygen ≤50 % of year | 876 | 16.0 | 781 | 15.6 | 95 | 19.6 | 0.02 |
| Oxygen >50 % of year | 1509 | 27.6 | 1359 | 27.2 | 150 | 31.0 | 0.08 |
| Symptoms | |||||||
| Dyspnea diagnoses | |||||||
| Breathlessness | |||||||
| None | 3454 | 63.1 | 3170 | 63.5 | 284 | 58.7 | 0.04 |
| 1 | 1051 | 19.2 | 943 | 18.9 | 108 | 22.3 | 0.07 |
| >1 | 970 | 17.7 | 878 | 17.6 | 92 | 19.0 | 0.44 |
| Shortness of breath | |||||||
| None | 3450 | 63.0 | 3175 | 63.6 | 275 | 56.8 | 0.003 |
| 1 | 1128 | 20.6 | 1021 | 20.5 | 107 | 22.1 | 0.39 |
| >1 | 897 | 16.4 | 795 | 15.9 | 102 | 21.1 | 0.004 |
| Any wheezing | 419 | 7.7 | 374 | 7.5 | 45 | 9.3 | 0.15 |
| Any breathlessness, shortness of breath, or wheezing | 3057 | 55.8 | 2751 | 55.1 | 306 | 63.2 | <0.001 |
| Other symptoms | |||||||
| Chest pain unspecified | 1662 | 30.4 | 1506 | 30.2 | 156 | 32.2 | 0.35 |
| Painful respiration | 272 | 5.0 | 248 | 5.0 | 24 | 5.0 | 0.99 |
| Any chest pain | 1742 | 31.8 | 1578 | 31.6 | 164 | 33.9 | 0.31 |
| Other malaise/fatigue | 1379 | 25.2 | 1252 | 25.1 | 127 | 26.2 | 0.58 |
| Cough | 1963 | 35.9 | 1804 | 36.1 | 159 | 32.9 | 0.15 |
| Procedures | |||||||
| Chest CT | 822 | 15.0 | 736 | 14.7 | 86 | 17.8 | 0.08 |
| Chest X-ray | 3432 | 62.7 | 3118 | 62.5 | 314 | 64.9 | 0.30 |
| Echocardiography | 1113 | 20.3 | 1019 | 20.4 | 94 | 19.4 | 0.60 |
| ECG | 2452 | 44.8 | 2238 | 44.8 | 214 | 44.2 | 0.79 |
| Nebulizer treatment | 1771 | 32.3 | 1586 | 31.8 | 185 | 38.2 | 0.004 |
| Non-invasive ventilator | 339 | 6.2 | 310 | 6.2 | 29 | 6.0 | 0.85 |
| Spirometry | 2284 | 41.7 | 2041 | 40.9 | 243 | 50.2 | <0.0001 |
| Any vaccination (influenza or pneumonia) | 2632 | 48.1 | 2404 | 48.2 | 228 | 47.1 | 0.66 |
| COPD-related exacerbations | |||||||
| Index and 2 weeks prior | |||||||
| Any moderate | 783 | 14.3 | 708 | 14.2 | 75 | 15.5 | 0.44 |
| Any severe | 434 | 7.9 | 367 | 7.4 | 67 | 13.8 | <0.0001 |
| Any other hospitalizationsa | 124 | 2.3 | 107 | 2.1 | 17 | 3.5 | 0.05 |
| Prior 3–12 weeks | |||||||
| Any moderate | 894 | 16.3 | 806 | 16.1 | 88 | 18.2 | 0.25 |
| Any severe | 337 | 6.2 | 293 | 5.9 | 44 | 9.1 | 0.005 |
| Any other hospitalizationsa | 209 | 3.8 | 190 | 3.8 | 19 | 3.9 | 0.90 |
| Prior 13–52 weeks | |||||||
| No moderate | 4200 | 76.7 | 3835 | 76.8 | 365 | 75.4 | 0.48 |
| 1 Moderate | 1018 | 18.6 | 920 | 18.4 | 98 | 20.2 | 0.33 |
| >1 Moderate | 257 | 4.7 | 236 | 4.7 | 21 | 4.3 | 0.70 |
| Any severe | 409 | 7.5 | 361 | 7.2 | 48 | 9.9 | 0.03 |
| Any other hospitalizationsa | 384 | 7.0 | 352 | 7.1 | 32 | 6.6 | 0.72 |
| All inpatient utilization | |||||||
| Non-COPD inpatient (any) | 852 | 15.6 | 773 | 15.5 | 79 | 16.3 | 0.63 |
| COPD inpatient (any) | 1117 | 20.4 | 983 | 19.7 | 134 | 27.7 | <0.0001 |
| Total inpatient (any) | 1690 | 30.9 | 1510 | 30.3 | 180 | 37.2 | 0.002 |
p values are from Chi-square test (percentages) and Student’s t test (continuous variables)
COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, CT computed tomography, ECG electrocardiogram, ICS inhaled corticosteroid, LABA long-acting beta-agonist, LAMA long-acting muscarinic antagonist, SABA short-acting beta-agonist, SAMA short-acting muscarinic agent
aCOPD as secondary diagnosis