PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Laura Ramírez García
AU  - Milagros Llanos Flores
AU  - Alicia Oliva Ramos
AU  - Alicia Cerezo Lajas
AU  - Ingrid Frías Benzant
AU  - Rodrigo Jiménez García
AU  - Valentín Hernández Barrera
AU  - Pilar Carrasco Garrido
AU  - Ana López de Andrés
AU  - Luis Puente Maestu
AU  - Javier De Miguel Díez
TI  - Impact of not planned readmissions due to acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2015.PA3014
DP  - 2015 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA3014
VI  - 46
IP  - suppl 59
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/suppl_59/PA3014.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/suppl_59/PA3014.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2015 Sep 01; 46
AB  - Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the whole world. Acute exacerbations are important adverse events, especially when they need hospitalization.Objective: The aim of this study was to identify not planned rehospitalization rates among patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) in Spain, to study the characteristics of these patients and to estimate its monetary impact.Methods: AECOPD first hospitalizations (FH) were identified using the basic minimal set of information from both public and private health system in Spain between 2006-2012. We considered readmissions (RH) when a not planned hospitalization took place in less than 30 days after the first one.Results: We found 301794 hospitalization cases of AECOPD, 86% men and 14% women, with a middle age of 74.7±10 years; 52899 (17,5 %) of them were readmissions. Readmited patients were mostly men (RH 88,9% vs FH 85.3%, P<0.001), had greater comorbidity (Charlson comorbidity index >2 in 6.4% of RH vs 4.9% of FH, P <0.001), were sent home less frequently (87.2% RH vs 92.6 of FH, P<0.001), had prolonged length of hospital stay (average stay 9.9±9.3 RH vs 8.1±7.7, P<0.001), had higher mortality (8.5% of RH vs 4.3 of FH, P<0.001) and higher monetary costs (3921.1±2746.3 euros due to RH vs 3854.6±2891.1 euros due to FH, P<0.001).Conclusions: Not planned readmissions after AECOPD have a major impact in our health system. It is important to identify all the avoidable causes of rehospitalization and develop efficient programs in order to reduce them.