Different characteristics associated with intensive care unit transfer from the medical ward between patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with and without pneumonia

Background: The rate of hospitalization due to acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is increasing. Few studies have examined the clinical, laboratory and treatment differences between patients in general wards and those who need transfer to an intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical, laboratory, and treatment characteristics of 374 patients who were initially admitted to the general ward at Chonnam National University Hospital in South Korea due to AECOPD (pneumonic, 194; non-pneumonic, 180) between January 2008 and March 2015. Of these patients, 325 were managed at the medical ward during their hospitalization period (ward group), and 49 required ICU transfer (ICU group). We compared the clinical, laboratory, and treatment characteristics associated with ICU transfer between patients with AECOPD with and without pneumonia. Results: Male patients were 86.5% in the ward group and 79.6% in the ICU group. High glucose levels [median 154.5 mg/dL, interquartile range (IQR) 126.8–218.3 in ICU group vs. median 133.0, IQR 109.8–160.3 in ward group], high pneumonia severity index scores (median 100.5, IQR 85.5–118.5 vs. median 86.0, IQR 75.0–103.5), low albumin levels (median 2.9 g/dL, IQR 2.6–3.6 vs . median 3.4, IQR 3.0–3.7), and anemia (73.3% vs . 43.3%) independently increased the risk of ICU transfer in the pneumonic AECOPD group. High PaCO 2 levels (median 53.1 mmHg in ICU group, IQR 38.5–84.6 vs . median 39.7, IQR 34.2–48.6 in ward group) independently increased the risk of ICU transfer in the non-pneumonic AECOPD group. Treatment with systemic corticosteroids (≥30 mg of daily prednisolone) during hospitalization in the medical ward independently reduced the risk of ICU transfer in both groups. Conclusions: The characteristics associated with ICU transfer differed between the pneumonic and non-pneumonic AECOPD groups, and systemic corticosteroids use was associated with lower rate of ICU transfer in both groups.