Description of frailty assessments among patients hospitalised with COPD exacerbation, based on physician assessment
| Managing well and vulnerable n=21 (42%) | Mildly frail n=9 (18%) | Moderately frail n=18 (36%) | Severely frail and very severely frail n=2 (4%) | |
| Age, mean±SD | 71±9 | 72±9 | 72±10 | 76±12 |
| Total length of stay, median (IQR) | 4 (2–7) | 5 (4–6) | 6 (4–10.25) | 11 (10–12) |
| Previous hospitalisation in the last 2 years, median (IQR) | 1 (0–2) | 1 (0–1) | 2 (0–3) | 6 (6–6) |
| Total cost ($C), median (IQR) | 4366 (2490–7094) | 5396 (5025–6386) | 6636 (3826–11 171) | 14 109 (13 182–15 037) |
| Subsequent hospitalisations with ALC* designation, number of hospitalisations (number of days) | 1 (5) | 2 (75) | 4 (84) | 1 (5) |
*ALC designation refers to ‘Alternate Level of Care’. This designation is assigned to patients in hospital who are ready for discharge but cannot access the appropriate postacute care (ie, long-term care or assisted living). Patients with ALC designation remain in hospital beds, but are not receiving active acute medical care.19
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.