Compliance with a COPD bundle of care in an Australian emergency department: A cohort study

Bundles of care are gaining popularity for treating acute severe illness.

To describe compliance with bundle of care elements (individually and as a "bundle") for patients treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations in the emergency department (ED).

Retrospective observational study of patients presenting in the 2014 calendar year with an ED diagnosis of COPD. The primary outcomes of interest were compliance with key bundle of care elements (individually and as a "bundle"). Analysis is descriptive.

381 patients were studied. Median age was 71 (IQR 64-80), 60% were male and 77% arrived by ambulance. Median duration of symptoms was 3 days (IQR 2-6 days). Compliance with the bundle elements was 90% for administration of controlled oxygen therapy (if oxygen given), 87% for administration of inhaled bronchodilators, 79% for administration of systemic corticosteroids, 75% of administration of antibiotics if evidence of infection, 77% for taking of a blood gas in non-mild disease, 98% for taking of a chest X-ray, and 74% for administration of NIV if pH <7.3. Compliance with all appropriate elements of the defined bundle of care was 49%. There was no difference in mean length of stay for admitted patients (P = .44), in-hospital mortality (P = 1.00) or re-admission within 30 days (P = .72) by bundle compliance.

Compliance with individual assessment and treatment recommendations was generally high; however, compliance with the overall recommended bundle was only 49%. This indicates that there is an opportunity to improve care in these patients.