For patients with COPD, researchers find that early follow-up with a pulmonologist may reduce the risk for rehospitalization for AECOPD.
In a retrospective analysis of all patients admitted for AECOPD to a lung institute in Israel over the course of 7 years, the investigators determined the risk for readmission for the same diagnosis as a function of whether a follow-up visit occurred and the timing of that visit. Of the 195 patients in the study, 44% made follow-up visits within 30 days of discharge. The remainder (56%) did not undergo a follow-up visit within that time frame. The primary outcome—relative risk for recurrence of AECOPD within 90 days of the previous AECOPD—was significantly higher in patients who did not make a follow-up visit within 30 days of discharge.
