Outcome After Intubation for COPD Exacerbation Can Be Predicted in the ED

Acute severe exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often encountered in the ED. Clinical outcomes for such critically ill patients have not been well documented. Previous studies indicate that hospitalization alone is associated with a mortality rate of 6 percent to 26 percent, which may become as high as 82 percent if mechanical ventilation is required. These authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of 166 patients with COPD who required mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure of diverse etiology.

The in-hospital mortality in the cohort was 28 percent but only 12 percent for patients who had no significant comorbidity. Independent predictors of mortality included higher illness severity score m…