Impact of co-morbid Heart Failure on health outcomes following hospitalization for AECOPD

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Heart Failure (HF) is common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The impact of concomitant HF on outcomes in patients hospitalized for an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) is uncertain. <bold>Methods:</bold> This was a population-based cohort study of all patients hospitalized for an AECOPD in Alberta, Canada between September 2018 to December 2019 using linked administrative databases. The exposure of interest was a diagnosis of HF based on a validated ICD-10 algorithm.¹ The primary outcome was 30-day hospital readmission. Secondary outcomes were 30-day emergency department (ED) visits and all-cause 90-day mortality post-discharge. We used Poisson regression and Cox proportional hazards regression to compare outcomes between patients with and without HF. <bold>Results:</bold> Of 8463 patients hospitalized with an AECOPD, the median age was 74 years, 49.8% were female, and 33.3% of patients had concomitant HF. The 30-day readmission, ED visit, and 90-day mortality rates were significantly higher in patients with HF (Figure). <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA1761/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig> <bold>Conclusions:</bold> Comorbid HF is associated with increased short-term risk of readmission, ED visits, and death in patients following hospitalization for an AECOPD. Further research will identify whether medical optimization of both COPD and HF at the time of discharge impacts the short-term risk. References 1. Schultz SE, et al. Chronic Dis Inj Can. 2013;33(3):160–6