OBJECTIVE:Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a history of frequent exacerbations are a target population of particular interest from both a clinical and an economic standpoint. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a program designed specifically to manage patients in this subgroup. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a 1-year randomized controlled trial designed to compare the effectiveness of a specific program (SP) with that of conventional management (CM) in a group of patients with a high frequency of exacerbations (3 or more per year). Within-group and between-group comparisons were carried out for a number of variables related to the patients medical care, dyspnea, health-related quality of life (HRQL), inhalation technique, and pulmonary function. RESULTS: A total of 26 patients were enrolled in the study (all men). The mean (SD) age was 73 (8) years, and mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) expressed as a percentage of the reference value was 43% (15%). Exacerbations requiring hospital care (emergency department visits and/or admission) decreased in both groups: by 24.4% (P not significant) in the CM group and 44.1% (P=.061) in the SP group. Hospital admissions decreased 73.3% in the SP group and increased 22% in the CM group (P< .001). While length of hospital stay decreased 77.3% in the SP group, this figure almost doubled in the CM group (P=.014). Dyspnea, HRQL, and inhalation technique improved in both groups. FEV1 fell by 46 mL/year in the CM group and increased 10 mL/year in the SP group (P not significant). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a simple program to manage selected patients with a history of frequent exacerbations produces a significant reduction in the number of hospital admissions, an improvement in HRQL, and may improve prognosis.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE:Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a history of frequent exacerbations are a target population of particular interest from both a clinical and an economic standpoint. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a program designed specifically to manage patients in this subgroup. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a 1-year randomized controlled trial designed to compare the effectiveness of a specific program (SP) with that of conventional management (CM) in a group of patients with a high frequency of exacerbations (3 or more per year). Within-group and between-group comparisons were carried out for a number of variables related to the patients medical care, dyspnea, health-related quality of life (HRQL), inhalation technique, and pulmonary function. RESULTS: A total of 26 patients were enrolled in the study (all men). The mean (SD) age was 73 (8) years, and mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) expressed as a percentage of the reference value was 43% (15%). Exacerbations requiring hospital care (emergency department visits and/or admission) decreased in both groups: by 24.4% (P not significant) in the CM group and 44.1% (P=.061) in the SP group. Hospital admissions decreased 73.3% in the SP group and increased 22% in the CM group (P< .001). While length of hospital stay decreased 77.3% in the SP group, this figure almost doubled in the CM group (P=.014). Dyspnea, HRQL, and inhalation technique improved in both groups. FEV1 fell by 46 mL/year in the CM group and increased 10 mL/year in the SP group (P not significant). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a simple program to manage selected patients with a history of frequent exacerbations produces a significant reduction in the number of hospital admissions, an improvement in HRQL, and may improve prognosis.
Authors: Anke Lenferink; Marjolein Brusse-Keizer; Paul Dlpm van der Valk; Peter A Frith; Marlies Zwerink; Evelyn M Monninkhof; Job van der Palen; Tanja W Effing Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2017-08-04
Authors: Gerard J Criner; Jean Bourbeau; Rebecca L Diekemper; Daniel R Ouellette; Donna Goodridge; Paul Hernandez; Kristen Curren; Meyer S Balter; Mohit Bhutani; Pat G Camp; Bartolome R Celli; Gail Dechman; Mark T Dransfield; Stanley B Fiel; Marilyn G Foreman; Nicola A Hanania; Belinda K Ireland; Nathaniel Marchetti; Darcy D Marciniuk; Richard A Mularski; Joseph Ornelas; Jeremy D Road; Michael K Stickland Journal: Chest Date: 2015-04 Impact factor: 9.410
Authors: Charlotte C Poot; Eline Meijer; Annemarije L Kruis; Nynke Smidt; Niels H Chavannes; Persijn J Honkoop Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2021-09-08
Authors: Valentin Prieto-Centurion; Michael A Markos; Norma I Ramey; Hélène A Gussin; Sharmilee M Nyenhuis; Min J Joo; Bharati Prasad; Nina Bracken; Robert Didomenico; Patrick O Godwin; Howard A Jaffe; Ravi Kalhan; Alan S Pickard; Barry R Pittendrigh; Bruce Schatz; Jamie L Sullivan; Byron M Thomashow; Mark V Williams; Jerry A Krishnan Journal: Ann Am Thorac Soc Date: 2014-03
Authors: Kate Jolly; Saimma Majothi; Alice J Sitch; Nicola R Heneghan; Richard D Riley; David J Moore; Elizabeth J Bates; Alice M Turner; Susan E Bayliss; Malcolm J Price; Sally J Singh; Peymane Adab; David A Fitzmaurice; Rachel E Jordan Journal: Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis Date: 2016-02-17