[Compliance of prescriptions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients given upon hospital discharge]

Measure the degree of compliance of prescriptions given to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) patients upon hospital discharge by comparing them to international recommendations. Identify factors that influence the degree of compliance. Evaluate the effect of that degree of compliance on the number of COPD exacerbations.

Retrospective observational study. We selected all episodes identified as COPD in a tertiary hospital during 2006. By consulting the clinical history database, we accessed the hospital discharge report and calculated the treatment's degree of proximity to the recommendations issued in the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). For each episode, we calculated the number of exacerbations in the six following months. Descriptive, bivariate statistical analysis.

We obtained 365 episodes. The mean degree of compliance was 82% (SD=15.9). The patient's age and the severity of the disease did not influence the degree of compliance. We observed an inverse correlation between the hospital stay and the degree of compliance (p=0.026). Discharge reports issued by the Pneumonology Department had a significantly higher degree of compliance (p<0.001). No statistically significant relationship was found between the degree of compliance and the number of exacerbations.

The degree of compliance is high according to the GOLD recommendations. The Pneumology Department had the highest degree of compliance, and a higher degree of compliance was related to a shorter hospital stay. The treatment compliance had no effect on the number of exacerbations of the disease.