Table 4.
Baseline Characteristics and Outcomes at the Index Hospitalization of Patients with Readmission by Longitudinal Eosinophil Stabilitya (N=241)
| Variables | Rare Eosinophil ≥150 Cells/μL (N=103) | Intermittent Eosinophil ≥150 Cells/μL (N=97) | Predominant Eosinophil ≥150 Cells/μL (N=41) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 61 (59.2) | 67 (69.1) | 33 (80.5) | 0.042 |
| Age ≥ 60 years | 91 (88.3) | 90 (92.8) | 38 (92.7) | 0.502 |
| Smoking history | 71 (68.9) | 75 (77.3) | 35 (85.4) | 0.097 |
| Pack-years | 40.21±29.73 | 39.51±29.25 | 42.04±22.86 | 0.909 |
| BMIb, kg/m2 | 23.05±5.1 | 22.60±5.21 | 22.86±5.60 | 0.733 |
| History of asthma | 9 (8.7) | 9 (9.3) | 5 (12.2) | 0.811 |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Systemic hypertension | 50 (48.5) | 47 (48.5) | 17 (41.5) | 0.713 |
| Cardiac artery disease | 28 (27.2) | 24 (24.7) | 6 (14.6) | 0.277 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 5 (4.9) | 5 (5.2) | 5 (12.2) | 0.22 |
| Congestive heart failure | 7 (6.8) | 4 (4.1) | 1 (2.4) | 0.490 |
| Diabetes | 21 (20.4) | 17 (17.5) | 9 (22.0) | 0.799 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 12 (11.7) | 6 (6.2) | 2 (4.9) | 0.257 |
| Connective tissue disease | 2 (1.9) | 2 (2.1) | 0 (0) | 0.658 |
| Liver disease | 2 (1.9) | 1 (1.0) | 1 (2.4) | 0.803 |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | 1.98±1.08 | 1.7±0.93 | 1.73±0.92 | 0.127 |
| Hospitalization for COPD in the previous year | 55 (53.4) | 52 (53.6) | 21 (51.2) | 0.965 |
| Time since onset of symptoms, years | 18.56±14.9 | 18.24±13.69 | 18.76±13.30 | 0.925 |
| Sputum During Admission | 0.945 | |||
| None | 4 (3.9) | 5 (5.2) | 1 (2.4) | |
| White | 64 (62.1) | 57 (58.8) | 26 (63.4) | |
| Purulent | 35 (34) | 35 (36.1) | 14 (34.1) | |
| Dyspnea during admission | 103 (100) | 96 (99) | 40 (97.6) | 0.333 |
| Laboratory | ||||
| WBC x109/L | 8.12±3.6 | 7.59±2.98 | 7.5±2.49 | 0.591 |
| Neutrophil, % | 73.78±11.86 | 72.15±11.44 | 67.82±10.28 | 0.011 |
| Hemoglobin, g/L | 136.4±21.77 | 131.18±20.45 | 133.06±15.34 | 0.207 |
| Albumin, g/L | 33.57±4.26 | 32.86±4.29 | 32.43±3.52 | 0.314 |
| Drug Treatment During Admission | ||||
| ICS | 80 (77.7) | 78 (80.4) | 31 (75.6) | 0.797 |
| IVS | 44 (42.7) | 33 (34) | 11 (26.8) | 0.163 |
| Duration of IVS, days | 4.73±3.25 | 5.49±3.02 | 2.82±2.04 | 0.014 |
| Total amount of IVS, mg | 254.55±204.55 | 290.3±195.44 | 145.46±105.96 | 0.023 |
| Antibiotics | 0.079 | |||
| None | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (2.4) | |
| Single antibiotic | 58 (56.3) | 65 (67) | 28 (68.3) | |
| Dual antibiotics | 45 (43.7) | 32 (33) | 12 (29.3) | |
| Length of stay, days | 10 [4–78] | 9 [4–34] | 8 [5–42] | 0.055 |
Notes: Data are presented as no. (%), mean ±SD, or median [range]. aLongitudinal eosinophil stability denotes prevalence of increased and low blood eosinophils over time. bBMI has 13 missing values. There are 4 (3.9%), 7 (7.2%) and 2 (4.9%) missing values in rare eosinophil ≥150 cells/μL group, intermittent eosinophil ≥ 150 cells/μL group and predominant eosinophil ≥150 cells/μL group, respectively.
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; WBC, white blood cell; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; WBC, white blood cell; ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; IVS, intravenous corticosteroid.