Table 2 Exacerbation-related resource use, total and by season^a

General practitioner visit

123 (46.6)

30 (50.9)

26 (48.2)

28 (45.2)

35 (42.7)

Had a prescription at home to fill/had antibiotics at home

77 (29.2)

15 (25.4)

16 (29.6)

16 (25.8)

28 (34.2)

Specialist visit

69 (26.1)

20 (33.9)

12 (22.2)

15 (24.2)

22 (26.8)

Physiotherapy

41 (15.5)

7 (11.9)

9 (16.7)

10 (16.1)

13 (15.9)

Telephone advice from respiratory clinic nurse

32 (12.1)

4 (6.8)

3 (5.6)

12 (19.4)

12 (14.6)

Pathology

30 (11.4)

4 (6.8)

9 (16.7)

9 (14.5)

8 (9.8)

 Haematology (full blood count)

15

4

4

5

2

 Biochemistry

10

4

3

3

0

 Sputum culture

9

1

3

4

1

 Antibiotic blood levels

4

0

3

1

0

 Throat swab for virus nucleic acid amplification testing

3

0

1

2

0

 Nasopharyngeal aspirate for virus nucleic acid amplification testing

1

0

0

0

1

 Bronchoalveolar lavage

1

0

0

0

1

 Immunology (radioallergoabsorbent test)

1

0

0

1

0

 Missing

4

0

0

0

4

In-patient hospital admission

30 (11.4)

4 (6.8)

8 (14.8)

9 (14.5)

8 (9.8)

 Had ‘hospital in the home’ following inpatient admission

10

0

4

3

2

Emergency department presentation

25 (9.5)

3 (5.1)

5 (9.3)

6 (9.7)

9 (11.0)

Medical imaging

21 (8.0)

2 (3.4)

5 (9.3)

5 (8.1)

9 (11.0)

 Chest radiograph

14

1

4

3

6

 Chest computed tomography scan

2

0

1

0

1

 Other

7

1

1

2

3

 Missing

2

0

0

0

1

Respiratory function testing (spirometry)

16 (6.1)

4 (6.8)

3 (5.6)

4 (6.5)

5 (6.1)

Saw other services (during hospitalisation)

12 (4.6)

3 (5.1)

1 (1.9)

3 (4.8)

5 (6.1)

 Social worker

4

1

1

2

0

 Dietician

3

1

0

1

1

 Occupational therapist

1

0

0

0

1

 Cardiologist

1

0

0

0

1

 Surgical

1

1

0

0

0

 Consult liaison

1

1

0

0

0

 Dentist

1

0

0

0

1

 Missing

1

0

0

0

1

Over the counter treatments

8 (2.9)

1 (1.7)

2 (3.7)

4 (6.5)

1 (1.2)

Consultation with community health nurse / respiratory clinic nurse

7 (2.7)

1 (1.7)

1 (1.9)

3 (3.2)

3 (3.7)

Hospital school (during hospitalisation)

7 (2.7)

2 (3.4)

0 (0.0)

3 (4.8)

2 (2.4)

Other procedures

2 (0.8)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.9)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.2)

 Bronchoscopy

1

0

1

0

0

 Scheduled intravenous line maintenance

1

0

0

0

3

Telephone advice from other doctor/specialist

2 (0.8)

1 (1.7)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.2)

Alternative therapies

2 (0.8)

1 (1.7)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.2)

 Glutathione nebulised medication

1

1

0

0

0

 Acupuncture

1

0

0

0

1

 Chinese medicine

1

0

0

0

1

Telephone advice from general nurse

1 (0.4)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.6)

0 (0.0)