Factors influencing short-term re-admission and one-year mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background and objectives: Fourteen day re-admission rates are deemed to be an important indicator of the quality of medical care for COPD in Taiwan. This study identified the characteristics of patients with COPD who required short-term re-admission and analysed the risk factors for 1-year mortality. Methods: Consecutive patients with COPD who were re-admitted to hospital within 14 days of discharge and a random computer generated selection of patients with COPD not re-admitted within 14 days of discharge were recruited to the study and their medical data collected from hospital records. Recruitment occurred over an 18-month period. Results: Fifty patients were recruited to each group. Multivariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in oral steroid use (P = 0.013) and FEV1 (P = 0.04) between the re-admission group and non-re-admission group. Of the many variables assessed, risk of death within 1 year of discharge was significantly associated with re-admission within 14 days alone (P = 0.02; odds ratio = 15.01). Conclusion: COPD patients using long-term oral corticosteroids and with a low FEV1 are at risk of re-admission with 14 days of hospital discharge, and medical care of these patients warrants much greater attention.