Risk of Re-Hospitalization in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Post Exacerbation

• Risk of Hospitalization in COPD patients [ Time Frame: January 1, 2003 through March 31, 2009 (up to 6 years) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Risk of hospitalization was assessed as any hospitalization that was catpured in the follow up period. We required this event to have a primary discharge dx of COPD (ICD-9 code 491.xx, 492.xx, 496.xx) thus assuring it to be COPD-related. a logistic regression model was run to examine this outcome.
  
  

• Number of COPD exacerbations [ Time Frame: January 1, 2003 through March 31, 2009 (up to 6 years) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Exacerbation rates were assessed between the FSC and AC groups. We examined COPD-related (primary dx of COPD (ICD-9 code 491.xx, 492.xx, 496.xx)) emergency department visits, outpatient visits, outpatient visits accompanied by prescription of oral steroids and antibiotics. A negative binomial regression model was run to examine this outcome.
  
  
• COPD-related Costs [ Time Frame: January 1, 2003 through March 31, 2009 (up to 6 years) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Mean COPD-related medical costs-, pharmacy costs - and total costs (the sum of medical and pharmacy costs) were calculated. Medical costs included healthcare facility and professional services charges for hospital admissions, ED visits, physician and other outpatient visits, and laboratory, radiology and other outpatient procedures with a primary diagnosis of COPD. Costs were adjusted to 2009 US dollars using the medical care component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI ). A Generalized Linear Model (GLM) with a log-link function was used to assess differences in costs.
  
  

Managed care patients (aged >40 years) who were fluticasone propionate/salmeterol xinafoate combination (FSC)-naive in the 12 months pre-index period. The index-date was the date of discharge of the index Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)-related hospitalization/Emergency Department (ED) visit. Eligible patients were required to newly initiate or switch to drug therapy with FSC or ipratropium (IPR) / tiotropium (TIO) during the identification period (01/01/2004 to 01/31/2008) to treat COPD. Patients who switched to another maintenance medication or had an exacerbation in the treatment assessment period (30-days post-index date) were excluded from the study. Follow-up period was 12 months post treatment assessment period. Patients classified as being on FSC 250/50 versus anticholinergics (TIO, IP or IPR). Examined risk of COPD-related exacerbations such as hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, COPD-related physician/outpatient visit with oral corticosteroid (OCS) or antibiotic prescription (ABX) within 5 days of physician/outpatient visit and COPD-related medical, pharmacy, and total healthcare costs in follow-up period.