International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
-
Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2017
Readmission After COPD Exacerbation Scale: determining 30-day readmission risk for COPD patients.
COPD affects over 13 million Americans, and accounts for over half a million hospitalizations annually. The Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, established by the Affordable Care Act requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reduce payments to hospitals with excess readmissions for COPD as of 2015. This study sought to develop a predictive readmission scale to identify COPD patients at higher readmission risk. ⋯ The RACE Scale reliably predicts an individual patient's 30-day COPD readmission risk based on specific factors present at initial admission. By identifying these patients at high risk of readmission with the RACE Scale, patient-specific readmission-reduction strategies can be implemented to improve patient care as well as reduce readmissions and health care expenditures.
-
Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2017
Observational StudySensitization to Aspergillus fumigatus as a risk factor for bronchiectasis in COPD.
Bronchiectasis-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap presents a possible clinical phenotype of COPD, but it is unclear why it develops in a subset of patients. We hypothesized that sensitization to Aspergillus fumigatus (A fum) is associated with bronchiectasis in COPD and occurs more frequently in vitamin D-deficient patients. ⋯ These results highlight a potential role for sensitization to A fum in COPD-related bronchiectasis.
-
Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2017
Comparative StudyCost-effectiveness analysis of umeclidinium/vilanterol for the management of patients with moderate to very severe COPD using an economic model.
Bronchodilators such as long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) and long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs) are central to the pharmacological management of COPD. Dual bronchodilation with umeclidinium/vilanterol (UMEC/VI; 62.5/25 μg) is a novel LAMA/LABA combination approved for maintenance treatment for patients with COPD. ⋯ The results from this model suggest that UMEC/VI treatment would be dominant compared with TIO and no long-acting bronchodilator treatment, and less costly than open dual LAMA + LABA treatment in patients with moderate to very severe COPD.
-
Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2017
Comparative StudyHeterogeneity of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome.
Many patients suffering from asthma or COPD have overlapping features of both diseases. However, a phenotypical approach for evaluating asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) has not been established. In this report, we examined the phenotypes in patients with ACOS. ⋯ In this study, each ACOS phenotype showed different characteristics. The proportion of patients free of severe exacerbation differed significantly among groups. At this time, further studies on the phenotypes of ACOS are required.
-
Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2017
Comparative Study Observational StudySmoking history and emphysema in asthma-COPD overlap.
Emphysema is a distinct feature for classifying COPD, and smoking history (≥10 pack-years) is one of several newly proposed criteria for asthma-COPD overlap (ACO). We studied whether or not a smoking history (≥10 pack-years) and emphysema are useful markers for classifying ACO and differentiating it from asthma with chronic airflow obstruction (CAO). ⋯ A smoking history (≥10 pack-years) was found to be a useful marker for differentiating ACO and asthma with CAO, and emphysema was a useful marker for classifying ACO. These markers are useful for predicting the overall survival and frequency of exacerbation.