Emergency Department Revisit Rate of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients On Oral Corticosteroids: An Observational Study

Studies report inconclusive results regarding the efficacy of oral corticosteroids to reduce the risk of re-visiting the Emergency Department (ED). The aim of this study was to compare COPD patients who received oral corticosteroids and got re -admitted to the ED earlier than 60 days. An observational study was conducted at the ED from 2016 to 2018. A cohort of adult COPD patients, who received oral corticosteroids was assessed for any ED re-visit due to a COPD exacerbation. A total of 325 COPD patients included the study, 71% had no subsequent ED visit, and 94 (28%) patients had a repeat ED visit due to a COPD exacerbation. Of this ED re-visit group, 61% was within 60 days. The ED re-visit within 60 days group was more likely to have cardiovascular disease than the group with an ED re-visit after 60 days (51% vs. 45%, p-value 0.64).The use of oral corticosteroids could potentially reduce the severity of COPD exacerbation and ED re-visits.