Depression ups readmission odds for COPD exacerbation

(HealthDay)—Depression is independently associated with increased risk of readmission for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published online Nov. 24 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Anand S. Iyer, M.D., 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).

"Depression is an independent risk factor for both short- and long-term readmissions for acute exacerbation of COPD and may represent a modifiable risk factor," the authors write. "In-hospital tobacco cessation counseling was also associated with reduced one-year readmission."

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