Clinical failure after ambulatory treatment of exacerbation of COPD is frequent. Usual markers of severity (impaired lung function, active smoking and severe dyspnoea) are associated with failure; however, a short severity questionnaire (COPDSS) provides better predictive value than the usual variables.

COPD patients who incur higher healthcare resource utilisation show reduced physical activity, increased respiratory failure and increased systemic inflammation.

Nearly one-quarter of the patients with COPD in this study presented clinically significant depression associated with worse quality of life, reduced exercise capacity, greater dyspnea, and a higher score in the BODE index.

A change of ≤4 points in the CAT score at discharge compared to that obtained at admission due to a severe exacerbation of COPD, helps to predict therapeutic failure such as a new exacerbation, readmission or death in the subsequent three months.

No abstract