PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - A. Faustini AU - C. Marino AU - D. D'Ippoliti AU - F. Forastiere AU - V. Belleudi AU - C. A. Perucci TI - The impact on risk-factor analysis of different mortality outcomes in COPD patients AID - 10.1183/09031936.00059807 DP - 2008 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - 629--636 VI - 32 IP - 3 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/32/3/629.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/32/3/629.full SO - Eur Respir J2008 Sep 01; 32 AB - The aim of the present study was to analyse the role of potential selection processes and their impact when evaluating risk factors for 30-day mortality among patients hospitalised for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A cohort of 26,039 patients aged ≥35 yrs and hospitalised with COPD were enrolled. A 30-day follow-up was carried out using both the cause mortality register (CMR) and the hospital discharge register (HDR). Individual and hospital factors associated with 30-day mortality were studied using both mortality outcomes. The 30-day mortality rate was 1.21·1,000 patient-days−1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–1.29) using the CMR, and 1.06·1,000 patient-days−1 (95% CI 0.98–1.13) using the HDR. Male patients, the most poorly educated, those who resided outside Rome and those who had more than one hospitalisation in the previous 2 yrs were more likely to die after discharge than when hospitalised. The most frequent cause of in-hospital death was respiratory disease and after discharge, heart disease. Older age, male sex, comorbidities, previous hospitalisations for respiratory failure, and admission to a ward not appropriate to treat respiratory diseases were the most important predictors of 30-day mortality. Using in-hospital 30-day mortality provides a significantly different estimate of the role of specific risk factors.