Abstract
Introduction
In patients with COPD, exacerbations are among the most relevant safety concerns. Here, we report frequency of exacerbations in a real-life out-patient COPD population.
Methods
To get insights into occurrence and frequency of exacerbations in a real-life out-patient COPD population, data of 6,209 COPD patients with obstructive spirometry pattern were obtained from 349 German primary and secondary care centres participating in the DACCORD cohort. This included history and treatment of exacerbations 6 months prior to inclusion into the registry. Exacerbations were defined based on prescription of oral steroids and/or antibiotics or hospitalisation.
Results
Mean age of the patients was 65.7 years, with 18% of the patients older than 75 years. 36.9% of the patients had severe or very severe airflow limitation (GOLD 2010). 50.7% were vaccinated against influenza and 36.3% against pneumococcae, respectively. In the 6 month period prior to study inclusion, 27.8% of the patients had exacerbations. Among them, only a minority had two (5.8%) or more (2.1%) exacerbations. A hospital stay was required in 16.4% of the exacerbated patients, equivalent to 4.3% of the total cohort. The majority of exacerbations were treated in an ambulatory setting with 58.4% of patients receiving systemic steroids and 73.2% receiving antibiotics.
Conclusion
The overall frequency of exacerbations in a large real-life COPD cohort was low, but in accordance with a previous report.1 Exacerbations, disease severity and vaccination status will be prospectively followed as part of the DACCORD study over the next 2 years.
Reference
1. Agusti et al., Resp Res 11:122.
- © 2014 ERS