Data needed at various time points |
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Evaluation in the ED |
Arterial blood gases parameters including PO2, PCO2 and pH. |
O2 saturation |
Presence of diabetes mellitus |
Presence of cardiovascular disease |
Expected adherence to treatment |
Response to previous treatments |
Severity of baseline COPD |
Number of hospital admissions in the year preceding the exacerbation |
Need for oxygen therapy at home |
Hemodynamic stability |
Level of consciousness, measured by the Glasgow Coma Scale [14] |
Presence of dyspnea at rest |
Exercise tolerance in the ED |
Respiratory rate |
Presence of paradoxical breathing or use of accessory respiratory musculature |
Sociodemographic information |
Decision to admit or discharge home |
Arterial blood gases parameters including PO2, PCO2 and pH. |
O2 saturation |
Hemodynamic stability |
Level of consciousness, measured by the Glasgow Coma Scale[14] |
Presence of dyspnea at rest |
Respiratory rate |
Presence of paradoxical breathing or use of accessory respiratory musculature |
If admitted, in the hospital |
Biological parameters such as arterial blood gases and blood glucose. |
Respiratory rate |
Presence of cardiac failure |
Results of chest x-ray |
Charlson Comorbidity Index[15] |
Medications prescribed for the acute episode and subsequent admission, methods of administration, and number of days of intravenous drug therapy. |
In-hospital morbidity and mortality: the appearance of complications, including all signs, symptoms, syndromes or diseases, that appeared or worsened during the hospital stay that were attributable to COPD or it treatment. |
Death |
Admission to an Intensive Care Unit (UCI) or to an Intermediate Respiratory Care Unit (IRCU); or need for Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (IMV) or Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (NIMV) |
Length of stay |
General health status, from response to question 1 of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire[16], degree of dyspnea, based on the Medical Research Council Dyspnea Index[17], and physical activity level (based on a scale employed previously in various studies at 1, and 7 days [18]. |
Quality of life, measured by the EuroQol-5D questionnaire at 1, and 7 days [19, 20]. |
Follow-up on admitted patients (after hospital discharge and up to 60 days post-discharge) |
General health status, from response to question 1 of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire[16], degree of dyspnea, based on the Medical Research Council Dyspnea Index[17], and physical activity level (based on a scale employed previously in various studies) [18]. |
Quality of life, measured by the EuroQol-5D questionnaire [19, 20]. |
Readmission within 30 days of the index exacerbation for the same reason, or readmission for any reason within 60 days after the index exacerbation |
Complications, including all signs, symptoms, syndromes or diseases that appeared or worsened during the 60-day observation period attributable to COPD or its treatment |
Variables collected from medical records in all patients with known COPD |
Baseline severity of COPD as measured by FEV1 |
Hospital admissions during the previous 12 months |
Baseline therapy (inhaled long-acting beta agonist, long-acting anticholinergics, inhaled corticosteroid and/or supplemental oxygen) |
Presence of associated diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and/or valve disease, cor pulmonale, peptic ulcer disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatic disease, history of stroke or deep vein thrombosis, and others needed to determine the Charlson Comorbidity Index |
Social support and level of functional dependency |
Following discharge home from the ED (1, 7, and 60 days post-discharge) |
General health status, from response to question 1 of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire[16], degree of dyspnea, based on the Medical Research Council Dyspnea Index[17], and physical activity level (based on a scale employed previously in various studies at 1, 7, and at 60 days [18]. |
Quality of life, measured by the EuroQol-5D questionnaire at 1, 7, and at 60 days [19, 20]. |
Charlson Comorbidity Index[15] |
Medication use |
Response to medications |
Need for supplemental oxygen |
Visits to the patient's primary care physician, subsequent ED visits or hospital readmissions |
Death, complications, presence of other symptoms |
Level of social support |
Level of functional dependency |