Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Hospitalized AECOPD Patients Treated with NCS, SCS, or NCS+SCS Before Propensity Score Matching
| Variables | NCS | SCS | NCS+SCS | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N=1091) | (N=709) | (N=1846) | ||
| Age (years) | 72.9±9.79 | 72.9±9.59 | 73.2±9.27 | <0.001a |
| Sex | 0.220b | |||
| Male | 790 (72.4%) | 564 (79.5%) | 1403 (76.0%) | |
| Female | 301 (27.6%) | 145 (20.5%) | 443 (24.0%) | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.2±3.75 | 21.8±3.38 | 22.2±3.32 | <0.001a |
| Duration of COPD (years) | 9.2±9.06 | 10.7±9.19 | 10.1±9.70 | <0.001a |
| Duration of AECOPD (days) | 19.0±48.09 | 17.9±34.01 | 17.0±35.71 | <0.001a |
| Pneumonia at enrollment | 264 (24.2%) | 172 (24.3%) | 473 (25.6%) | 0.919b |
| First monitor index | ||||
| First PaO2 (mmHg) | 74.4±26.50 | 79.8±30.89 | 79.9±30.93 | <0.001a |
| First PaCO2 (mmHg) | 48.7±15.36 | 50.9±16.98 | 51.5±16.90 | <0.001a |
| First SaO2 (%) | 91.3±9.20 | 92.1±8.72 | 92.6±7.44 | <0.001a |
| First pH | 7.4±0.06 | 7.4±0.07 | 7.4±0.06 | <0.001a |
| Smoking | ||||
| Smoking status | 0.305b | |||
| Never smoked | 350 (32.1%) | 229 (32.3%) | 547 (29.6%) | |
| Current smokers | 276 (25.3%) | 163 (23.0%) | 462 (25.0%) | |
| Former smokers | 456 (41.8%) | 305 (43.0%) | 814 (44.1%) | |
| Missing data | 9 (0.8%) | 12 (1.7%) | 23 (1.2%) | |
| Smoking duration (years) | 35.3±13.19 | 34.3±12.17 | 35.0±12.82 | <0.001a |
| Smoking amount (packets/year) | 58.3±93.45 | 66.8±115.20 | 63.0±96.59 | <0.001a |
| Living environment | ||||
| Long-term passive smoking | 91 (8.3%) | 53 (7.5%) | 143 (7.7%) | 0.650b |
| Long-term exposure to occupational dust and gas fumes | 74 (6.8%) | 41 (5.8%) | 105 (5.7%) | 0.359b |
| Air pollution | 411 (37.7%) | 255 (36.0%) | 655 (35.5%) | 0.139b |
| Damp, cold or foggy | 106 (9.7%) | 166 (23.4%) | 207 (11.2%) | 0.081b |
| None of the above | 518 (47.5%) | 311 (43.9%) | 925 (50.1%) | 0.090b |
| Comorbidities | 177 (16.2%) | 137 (19.3%) | 366 (19.8%) | - |
| Mean total dose (mg) | 33.0±25.16 | 367.9±364.72* | 36.9±70.50/442.2±482.75* | - |
| Mean daily dose (mg) | 3.8±1.77 | 49.9±38.34* | 3.1±3.07/61.1±61.36* | - |
| Mean treatment duration (days) | 8.7±5.11 | 7.9±5.10 | 12.3±8.29/7.8±5.44 | - |
Notes: Data were summarized as mean±standard deviation for continuous variables and n (percentage) for categorical data. aOne-way analysis of variance. bChi-square test. *Equivalent prednisone dose.
Abbreviations: NCS, nebulized corticosteroids; SCS, systemic corticosteroids; AECOPD, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; BMI, body mass index.