Prediction of 12-month exacerbation-related readmission in hospitalized patients with COPD: a single-center study in China

Abstract Background Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are hospitalized multiple times for exacerbations face substantially worse clinical outcomes, including higher mortality, faster lung function decline, and reduced quality of life. Identifying these high-risk individu...

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Main Authors: Cong Zhang, Wenhao Ling, He Pan, Hongxia Tan, Li He
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-08-01
Series:European Journal of Medical Research
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-025-03042-z
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author Cong Zhang
Wenhao Ling
He Pan
Hongxia Tan
Li He
author_facet Cong Zhang
Wenhao Ling
He Pan
Hongxia Tan
Li He
author_sort Cong Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are hospitalized multiple times for exacerbations face substantially worse clinical outcomes, including higher mortality, faster lung function decline, and reduced quality of life. Identifying these high-risk individuals is essential for early intervention and improved disease management. However, existing predictive models often lack specificity for this population, particularly in inpatient settings. This study aimed to develop a clinically applicable model—based on routinely available inpatient data—to identify patients at risk of exacerbation-related readmission within 12 months following an index hospitalization. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) at a tertiary hospital in China between January 2021 and December 2023. The primary outcome was defined as an AECOPD-related readmission within 12 months following the index hospitalization. Candidate predictors were selected from demographic, clinical, physiological, and laboratory data. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed and internally validated using bootstrap resampling. Class imbalance was addressed using oversampling, undersampling, and class-weighting techniques. The study was approved by the hospital’s ethics committee (Approval No: 2022–058-01). Results A total of 1559 inpatients with AECOPD were initially screened. After excluding 272 patients due to incomplete medical records, 1287 patients were included in the final analysis. Seven independent predictors were incorporated into the final model: sex, smoking status, diabetes, coronary artery disease, hemoglobin (Hb) level, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)% predicted, and length of hospital stay (LOHS). The model demonstrated good discriminative ability, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79 (95% CI 0.75–0.83), sensitivity of 76.3%, specificity of 70.2%, and satisfactory calibration. A nomogram and online calculator were developed to facilitate individualized bedside application. Conclusions We developed a clinically applicable prediction model to identify hospitalized COPD patients at risk of exacerbation-related readmission within 12 months. The model incorporates routinely available clinical and physiological variables and demonstrated good internal performance. It may support early risk stratification and inform individualized post-discharge management. However, due to the single-center retrospective design and absence of external validation, further studies are needed to confirm its generalizability and real-world clinical utility.
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spelling doaj-art-7ef686a6d23a41258a212ada4be81a492025-08-24T11:15:02ZengBMCEuropean Journal of Medical Research2047-783X2025-08-0130111310.1186/s40001-025-03042-zPrediction of 12-month exacerbation-related readmission in hospitalized patients with COPD: a single-center study in ChinaCong Zhang0Wenhao Ling1He Pan2Hongxia Tan3Li He4Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze UniversityDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze UniversityDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze UniversityDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze UniversityDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze UniversityAbstract Background Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are hospitalized multiple times for exacerbations face substantially worse clinical outcomes, including higher mortality, faster lung function decline, and reduced quality of life. Identifying these high-risk individuals is essential for early intervention and improved disease management. However, existing predictive models often lack specificity for this population, particularly in inpatient settings. This study aimed to develop a clinically applicable model—based on routinely available inpatient data—to identify patients at risk of exacerbation-related readmission within 12 months following an index hospitalization. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) at a tertiary hospital in China between January 2021 and December 2023. The primary outcome was defined as an AECOPD-related readmission within 12 months following the index hospitalization. Candidate predictors were selected from demographic, clinical, physiological, and laboratory data. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed and internally validated using bootstrap resampling. Class imbalance was addressed using oversampling, undersampling, and class-weighting techniques. The study was approved by the hospital’s ethics committee (Approval No: 2022–058-01). Results A total of 1559 inpatients with AECOPD were initially screened. After excluding 272 patients due to incomplete medical records, 1287 patients were included in the final analysis. Seven independent predictors were incorporated into the final model: sex, smoking status, diabetes, coronary artery disease, hemoglobin (Hb) level, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)% predicted, and length of hospital stay (LOHS). The model demonstrated good discriminative ability, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79 (95% CI 0.75–0.83), sensitivity of 76.3%, specificity of 70.2%, and satisfactory calibration. A nomogram and online calculator were developed to facilitate individualized bedside application. Conclusions We developed a clinically applicable prediction model to identify hospitalized COPD patients at risk of exacerbation-related readmission within 12 months. The model incorporates routinely available clinical and physiological variables and demonstrated good internal performance. It may support early risk stratification and inform individualized post-discharge management. However, due to the single-center retrospective design and absence of external validation, further studies are needed to confirm its generalizability and real-world clinical utility.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-025-03042-zAECOPDExacerbation-related readmissionPrediction model
spellingShingle Cong Zhang
Wenhao Ling
He Pan
Hongxia Tan
Li He
Prediction of 12-month exacerbation-related readmission in hospitalized patients with COPD: a single-center study in China
European Journal of Medical Research
AECOPD
Exacerbation-related readmission
Prediction model
title Prediction of 12-month exacerbation-related readmission in hospitalized patients with COPD: a single-center study in China
title_full Prediction of 12-month exacerbation-related readmission in hospitalized patients with COPD: a single-center study in China
title_fullStr Prediction of 12-month exacerbation-related readmission in hospitalized patients with COPD: a single-center study in China
title_full_unstemmed Prediction of 12-month exacerbation-related readmission in hospitalized patients with COPD: a single-center study in China
title_short Prediction of 12-month exacerbation-related readmission in hospitalized patients with COPD: a single-center study in China
title_sort prediction of 12 month exacerbation related readmission in hospitalized patients with copd a single center study in china
topic AECOPD
Exacerbation-related readmission
Prediction model
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-025-03042-z
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