|
Baseline values for all patients (n = 9) |
|
| Baseline characteristics |
|
|
|
|
| Gender (female/male) |
3/6 |
| Age (years)* |
72 (51–86) |
| Body-mass index (kg/m2)* |
25.9 (24.7–33.7) |
| Smoking (pack years)* |
30 (25–50) |
| Duration of COPD (years)* |
2.0 (1–4) |
| Number of AECOPD in previous year* |
1 (1–2) |
| Duration of AECOPD (days) |
4 (4–7) |
| Dyspnea (%) |
9 (100%) |
| Cough (%) |
9 (100%) |
| Increased sputum production (%) |
9 (100%) |
| Discoloured sputum (%) |
7 (78%) |
| Fever (%) |
7 (78%) |
| Maintenance therapy at admission (%) |
|
| β2-agonist and/or anticholinergic |
7 (78%) |
| Inhaled corticosteroids |
4 (44%) |
| Oral corticosteroids |
0 (0%) |
| Theophyllin |
0 (0%) |
| Long-term oxygen therapy |
1 (11%) |
| Severity of AECOPD – Anthonisen's criteria [8] (%) |
|
| 1 |
0 (0%) |
| 2 |
2 (22%) |
| 3 |
7 (78%) |
|
|
|
| Heart rate* (beats/min) |
84 (70–101) |
|
|
|
| Blood pressure* (mmHg) |
|
| Systolic |
143 (120–150) |
| Diastolic |
80 (69–85) |
|
|
|
| Respiratory rate* |
16 (12–25) |
|
|
|
| Laboratory findings: |
|
|
|
|
| Leukocytes total* |
9.3 (7.7–10.1) |
| CRP (mg/dl)* |
19 (6–61) |
| Cortisol basal (nmol/l)** |
439 (392–462) |
| Cortisol after 1 μg ACTH (nmol/l)** |
712 (608–730) |
| Basal ACTH (ng/l)** |
9.2 (5.1–11.5) |
|
* median, interquartile range; | |
Schuetz et al. BMC Pulmonary Medicine 2008 8:1 doi:10.1186/1471-2466-8-1 |
|