Table 1

Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population

Variables

All

AE-COPD

Stable COPD

P valuea

n

%

n

%d

n

%d

Patients

189

100

123

65.1

66

34.9

n

%e

n

%e

n

%e

Sex

0.35

Female

39

20.6

28

22.8

11

16.7

Male

150

79.4

95

77.2

55

83.3

Smoking behavior

0.34

Active smokers

53

28.0

32

26.0

21

31.8

Non-smoker

26

13.8

20

16.3

6

9.1

Ex-smoker

110

58.2

71

57.7

39

59.1

Oral steroid medication

0.52

Yes

127

67.2

85

69.1

42

63.6

No

62

32.8

38

30.9

24

36.4

Inhaled corticosteroids

0.63

Yes

126

66.7

80

65.0

46

69.7

No

63

33.3

43

35.0

20

30.3

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Age (years)

67

10

68

9

65

11

0.17

Body mass index (kg/m2)

26.9

5.1

26.8

5.0

27.2

5.2

0.60

Median

Range

Median

Range

Median

Range

Pack yearsb

30

2-120

30

2-120

30

2-120

0.71

FEV1ad (L)

1.0

0.4-2.6

1.0

0.4-2.2

1.2

0.5 - 2.6

< 0.0001

FEV1ad (% predicted)

38.0

16.7-79.0

36.7

16.7-79.0

42.9

19.4-77.3

0.003

FEV1dis (L)

1.2

0.5-2.9

1.2

0.6-2.9

1.2

0.5-2.6

0.53

FEV1dis (% predicted)

43.6

18.5-78.9

44.3

18.5-78.9

42.9

19.4-77.3

0.90

CRP (mg/dL)

0.8

0.0-39.8

1.0

0.0-39.8

0.6

0.0-12.9

0.0002

Leukocytes/nL

10.5

0.7-27.2

10.9

0.7-27.2

10.1

5.1-24.0

0.016

Oral steroid dose (mg)c

7.5

0-150

10

0-150

5

0-150

0.098

Notes: a P values with statistical significance are printed bold. b Pack years in active and ex-smokers. c Oral steroid dose in prednisone equivalent before admission. dPercent in line. e Percent in column. Abbreviations: (AE-)COPD = (acute exacerbation of) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. CRP = C-reactive protein. FEV1ad = forced expiratory volume in one second on admission. FEV1dis = baseline forced expiratory volume in one second for the control group and before discharge after recovery from exacerbation for the AE-COPD group. SD = standard deviation.

Ringshausen et al. Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009 4:12   doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-12

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