Table 3 Changes in clinical severity, management, and outcome (552 episodes of AECOPD between 2000 and 2012)
|  | 2000 (n = 31) | 2001 (n = 81) | 2002 (n = 56) | 2003 (n = 56) | 2004 (n = 40) | 2005 (n = 29) | 2006 (n = 33) | 2007 (n = 37) | 2008 (n = 49) | 2009 (n = 61) | 2010 (n = 19) | 2011 (n = 30) | 2012 (n = 30) | p* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age, years, med (IQR) | 69 (67–74) | 66 (61.2–74) | 70 (61–72.5) | 70 (63–76.7) | 69 (60–74) | 65 (60.5–75) | 62 (53.7–68.5) | 72 (65–78) | 69.5 (62–75.7) | 69 (62–75) | 64 (50–71.5) | 62.5 (56.7–70.7) | 65.5 (57.2–70.7) | 0.078 |
SAPS II med (IQR) | 28 (21–43.5) | 28 (22–39.5) | 25.5 (21–32) | 27.5 (22–34) | 29.5 (21–35) | 24 (19–33) | 26 (19–30) | 30 (23–35) | 29 (24–32) | 28 (18–35) | 26 (19–31.5) | 22 (18–25) | 27 (21.5–33) | 0.018 |
pH at ICU admission med (IQR) | 7.23 (7.15–7.28) | 7.26 (7.19–7.30) | 7.26 (7.20–7.30) | 7.26 (7.17–7.29) | 7.27 (7.22–7.30) | 7.30 (7.27–7.32) | 7.27 (7.21–7.32) | 7.29 (7.24–7.34) | 7.30 (7.28–7.33) | 7.29 (7.27–7.33) | 7.31 (7.26–7.35) | 7.30 (7.26–7.34) | 7.30 (7.25–7.34) | <0.001 |
Primary ventilation mode | ||||||||||||||
 Intubation (%) | 71 | 54.3 | 44.6 | 46.4 | 45 | 27.6 | 18.2 | 13.5 | 14.3 | 16.4 | 15.8 | 10 | 3.3 | <0.001 |
 NIV (%) | 29 | 45.7 | 55.4 | 53.6 | 55 | 72.4 | 81.8 | 86.5 | 85.7 | 83.6 | 84.2 | 90 | 96.7 | <0.001 |
NIV failure (%) | 22.2 | 21.6 | 25.8 | 30 | 22.7 | 19 | 18.5 | 12.5 | 9.5 | 11.8 | 12.5 | 7.5 | 13.8 | 0.004 |
Empiric antibiotic therapy at ICU admission (%) | 67.7 | 75.3 | 78.6 | 80.4 | 65 | 69 | 66.7 | 83.8 | 49 | 15 | 36.8 | 26.7 | 33.3 | <0.001 |
VAP rate (%) | 19.4 | 16 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 10 | 10.3 | 12.1 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 10.5 | 6.7 | 10 | 0.037 |
Global duration of ventilation, days, med (IQR) | 7 (5–11) | 5 (3–9) | 4 (3–6) | 5 (3–8) | 8.5 (5–11.5) | 10 (6–16) | 9 (6–16) | 9 (6–10) | 6 (4–14) | 8 (5–10) | 10 (5.5–14.5) | 7 (5–9) | 7.5 (5–13) | <0.001 |
VAP Density (for 1000 patient—days of ventilation) | 22.98 | 20.63 | 24.47 | 18.04 | 9.13 | 7.89 | 10.17 | 9.14 | 8.08 | 7.83 | 8.54 | 9.66 | 10.27 | 0.002 |
ICU mortality (%) | 12.9 | 16 | 5.4 | 23.2 | 20 | 6.9 | 12.1 | 16.2 | 14.3 | 4.9 | 15.8 | 3.3 | 6.7 | 0.058 |