Routine in-hospital interventions during acute exacerbation of COPD are associated with improved 30-day care

Implementing standard of care therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has barriers. Hospitalization with an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) is a major adverse event that could also be an opportunity to improve patients' long-term care.

To evaluate which in-hospital interventions during AECOPD are associated with improved 30-day care.

This was a prospective study that included patients from 10 medical centers across Israel, hospitalized with AECOPD between 2017 and 2019. Patients were approached during hospitalization in internal medicine departments. A semi-structured follow-up call was performed 30 days after discharge, and six COPD areas of care were assessed. Multivariate analyses were used to analyze predictors for each area of care.

234 patients were included (mean age 69 years and 34% females). A lower 30-day readmission rate was independently associated with smoking cessation and prescription of renin-angiotensin blockers. Initiating or continuing long acting bronchodilators (LABD) during admission was an independent predictor for their 30-day use. Among patients with prior LABD treatment, only 38% continued at 30-days if it was not prescribed during admission (OR 4, 95% CI 1.98-8.08, p<0.01). In-hospital daily respiratory physiotherapy was an independent predictor for smoking cessation (AOR 5.1, 95% CI 1.1-23, p=0.04), while smoking cessation recommendation was not (p=0.28). Initiating a smoking cessation program (5%) or pulmonary rehabilitation (1%) after discharge was performed only by patients with a written referral.

Routine procedures during hospitalization for AECOPD could impact patients' long-term care in areas with proven effects on disease outcomes.