Background: Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) is the third leading cause of readmissions and is now included in the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). Our institution developed an inter-professional program aimed at reducing all-cause 30-day readmissions for patients admitted with AECOPD. Methods: We iteratively developed and piloted our inter-professional COPD HRRP [...]

Background: Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) is the third leading cause of readmissions and is now included in the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). Our institution developed an inter-professional program aimed at reducing all-cause 30-day readmissions for patients admitted with AECOPD. Methods: We iteratively developed and piloted our inter-professional COPD HRRP [...]

Background: Correct inhaler technique for COPD medications is essential to achieving optimum delivery into the lungs. Evidence suggests that poor technique is widespread and linked to poor efficacy and adherence. However, the direct relationship between inhaler technique and health status has not been investigated.  Methods: Data from a 2013 US survey dataset of COPD patients [...]

Background: The 2015 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines recommend the use of systemic corticosteroids in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Although prior guidelines did not recommend a dose or route, current guidelines recommend oral (PO) prednisone over intravenous (IV) methylprednisolone for non-ICU AECOPD hospitalizations, given [...]

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third most common cause of hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. These readmissions increase the overall healthcare cost burden. We examined the effect of early follow-up visit with patient’s primary care physician (PCP) or pulmonologist on 30-day and 1-year readmission risk. Methods: We constructed an electronic [...]

Background: Research suggests that COPD patients with low peak inspiratory flow rate (PIFR,

Background: Consensus supports the use of corticosteroids in acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD), but route of administration and dosage still vary considerably. In one study comparing lower dose oral (PO) prednisone to higher dose intravenous (IV) methylprednisolone, the prednisone regimen was associated with comparable improvement in lung function and oxygenation but a trend toward significantly [...]

Case Presentation: A 75 year-old man with history of type II diabetes and hypertension presented with progressive dyspnea. Two weeks prior, he had presented with similar symptoms that were attributed to COPD due to a remote history of smoking. He was hypoxic upon presentation requiring bi-level positive pressure ventilation with a FiO2 of 40%. He [...]