The results of a recent study show that depression is independently associated with an increased risk of readmission for acute COPD exacerbation.
Anand S. Iyer, MD, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues characterized the association between depression and anxiety and COPD remission risk. Medical records were examined for 422 patients with a primary diagnosis of acute exacerbation of COPD admitted between November 2010 and October 2012. Factors associated with readmission were assessed at one year and within 30 and 90 days.
The researchers found that 132 patients were readmitted in one year. Readmitted patients had lower percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (P = 0.05) and higher frequency of depression (P < 0.001), on univariate analysis.
Independent associations were seen for one-year readmission with depression (adjusted odds ratio, 2.67) and in-hospital tobacco cessation counseling (adjusted odds ratio, 0.34), in multivariable analysis. Depression also predicted readmission at 30 and 90 days (adjusted odds ratios, 3.83 and 2.47, respectively).
