Prevalence and Factors Associated with Readmission within 28 Days of COPD Patients at Singhanakorn Hospital

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of illness and death among the population in Thailand. COPD patients often experience severe exacerbations, even after hospital admission. After being hospitalized, some patients experience symptom relapse and require readmission to the hospital within a short period, which is extremely detrimental to their health. This research is a cross-sectional study. The objective was to study the prevalence and factors associated with acute exacerbations of COPD in patients who were readmitted to Singhanakorn Hospital within 28 days. Study Design: A cross-sectional study on readmission within 28 days of COPD patients was conducted at Singhanakorn Hospital from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023. Data were collected using medical records of patients in Singhanakorn Hospital. The study focused on the prevalence and factors associated with readmission within 28 days of COPD patients at Singhanakorn Hospital. The data were analyzed using statistical methods. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic data of the patients, including percentages and frequencies. The Chi-square test was used to compare the factors of patients who were readmitted to the hospital. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of COPD patients with acute exacerbation who were readmitted to the hospital within 28 days during the study period was 25.38%. The top 3 prevalence factors were history of intubation (93.3%), disease severity (77.8%), and history of antibiotic use (67.9%), respectively. Factors associated with readmission were disease severity: Group B (OR=16.20, p<.001), Group E (OR=28.20, p<.001), and history of intubation (OR=18.64, p<.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of readmission within 28 days in COPD patients with acute exacerbation was 25.38%. The factors associated with readmission within 28 days in COPD patients with acute exacerbation were disease severity and history of intubation.