TABLE 1

The number of admissions and admission-related information from March 23–June 1 in 2018, 2019, and 2020

201820192020p-value
Age years69.6±14.868.9±15.166.8±15.20.136
Female %62.261.560.5
Total admissions n173017971138
  COPD diagnosis1072 (62.0)1095 (60.9)666 (58.5)
  Asthma diagnosis665 (38.4)715 (39.8)477 (41.9)
Mean admissions per week173.0±13.2179.7±12.9113.8±13.0<0.001
 COPD admissions per week107.2±8.7109.5±6.266.1±9.0<0.001
 Asthma admissions per week66.5±8.770.0±9.647.7±9.4<0.001
Total exacerbation admissions (% of total admissions)360 (20.8)366 (20.3)157 (13.7)<0.001
 COPD exacerbation292 (81.1)288 (78.7)126 (80.8)
 Asthma exacerbation68 (18.9)78 (21.3)31 (19.2)
Mean exacerbations per week36±6.836.6±7.915.7±2.9<0.001
 COPD exacerbations per week29.2±6.329.4±6.412.6±3.2<0.001
 Asthma exacerbations per week6.8±3.07.8±2.23.0±1.5<0.001
Level of care
 Ward admission321 (82.7)331 (83.8)150 (87.7)0.326
  COPD n254258122
  Asthma n677328
 HDU admission56 (14.5)52 (13.2)13 (7.6)0.028
  COPD n544813
  Asthma n240
 ICU admission11 (2.8)12 (3.0)8 (4.7)0.245
  COPD n10105
  Asthma n123
Admission and treatment
 Steroid prescription343 (88.4)348 (88.1)137 (80.1)0.004
 Median (range) length of stay3.0 (1–73)3.0 (1–120)3.0 (1–32)0.540
 Deaths22 (5.7)26 (6.6)9 (5.3)0.788

Data are presented as mean±sd or n (%), unless otherwise stated. HDU: high-dependency unit; ICU: intensive care unit.