Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common condition responsible for substantial morbidity, mortality, and costs in the United States. The economic burden of COPD is driven primarily by hospitalizations, with 1 in 5 hospitalized patients experiencing a 30-day readmission. Bronchodilators, delivered via handheld inhalers or nebulizers, are the mainstay of therapy for COPD. However, differences in outcomes between short- and long-acting therapies are unclear. We examined real-world differences in 30-day readmission and exacerbation rates between Medicare beneficiaries with COPD treated with a nebulized long-acting beta₂-agonist (arformoterol tartrate [ARF]) and beneficiaries treated with a nebulized short-acting beta₂-agonist (SABA) for maintenance therapy after hospital discharge.

Methods: Truven MarketScan Hospital Drug Database and Medicare files were probabilistically matched between 2009 and 2013 to identify beneficiaries who were aged ≥65 years and discharged from a hospital with a primary COPD diagnosis or a secondary COPD diagnosis and a primary diagnosis for another respiratory condition. Matching was performed by using COPD hospitalization date (±7 days) and source, length of stay (±1 day), discharge date and destination, and hospital region. After applying additional inclusion/exclusion criteria, 2 cohorts were created: nebulized ARF users (n = 953) and nebulized SABA users (n = 6939). Logistic regression analyses were used to examine 30-day readmission (all-cause and COPD related) and exacerbation rates. Odds ratios (ORs), 95% CIs, and P values were computed.

Findings: On average, nebulized SABA users had more comorbidities than nebulized ARF users, including diabetes, atrial fibrillation, renal disease, musculoskeletal disease, myocardial infarction, and cognitive impairment (all, P < 0.0001). However, nebulized ARF users had a higher average COPD severity score than nebulized SABA users (49.5 v. 38.0; P < 0.001). COPD therapies at baseline were similar in both cohorts and included systemic corticosteroids (≥65%), short-acting bronchodilators (≥33%), and inhaled corticosteroids + long-acting beta₂-agonists (30%). After adjusting for sociodemographic and hospital characteristics, concomitant medications, and case-mix, nebulized ARF users had 27% lower odds of an all-cause readmission (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59-0.92; P = 0.008) and 23% lower odds of a COPD-related readmission (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60-0.98; P = 0.032) at 30 days compared with users of a nebulized SABA. No difference was found in 30-day exacerbation rates between the cohorts.

Implications: Nebulized ARF users had lower 30-day readmission rates, greater COPD severity, and fewer comorbidities than nebulized SABA users. In this population, maintenance treatment with ARF reduced costly COPD outcomes.

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