Patient characteristics
| Variable | Subjects n (%) |
| Gender | |
| Male | 197 (65.7) |
| Female | 103 (34.3) |
| Smoking | |
| Current | 67 (22.3) |
| Ex-smoker | 182 (60.7) |
| Never-smoker | 51 (17.0) |
| ECOPD history in the last year | |
| Any hospitalisation | 90 (30.0) |
| Intensive care unit admission | 33 (11.0) |
| Noninvasive ventilation | 67 (22.3) |
| Invasive ventilation | 2 (0.7) |
| ED visit | 265 (88.3) |
| Last visit to the outpatient clinic | |
| No visit | 8 (2.7) |
| <1 week | 26 (8.7) |
| <1 week to <1 month | 27 (9.0) |
| <1 month to <3 months | 24 (8.0) |
| >3 months | 215 (71.7) |
| Usual medications and devices | |
| None | 33 (11) |
| Only oxygen | 10 (3.3) |
| Only BiPAP | 2 (0.7) |
| Only inhaled medications (LABA or LAMA or ICS) | 153 (51) |
| Oxygen and BiPAP | 5 (1.7) |
| Oxygen and inhaled medications (LABA or LAMA or ICS) | 45 (15) |
| Oxygen, BiPAP and inhaled medications (LABA or LAMA or ICS) | 42 (14) |
| Oxygen, oral steroid and inhaled medications (LABA or LAMA or ICS) | 8 (2.7) |
| Oxygen, BiPAP, oral steroid and inhaled medications (LABA or LAMA or ICS) | 2 (0.7) |
ECOPD: exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ED: emergency department; BiPAP: bilevel positive airway pressure; LABA: long-acting β-agonist; LAMA: long-acting muscarinic antagonist; ICS: inhaled corticosteroid.