Hospital readmissions are associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Minimizing readmissions is therefore a key management goal for COPD. Despite guideline recommendations for use of long-acting bronchodilator therapy for maintenance treatment of COPD, some patients continue to receive only short-acting bronchodilator therapy even after a COPD-related hospitalization event.

Patients who received nebulized long-acting β2-agonists following COPD-related hospitalization discharge were found to have a 47% lower risk of readmission compared with patients who received nebulized short-acting β2-agonists.

Our study adds evidence to the effectiveness of nebulized long-acting β2-agonists versus short-acting β2-agonists for the chronic management of COPD symptoms. The results of our study highlight the importance of appropriate maintenance therapy for symptom control and prevention of COPD exacerbations.