Physiological measurements at admission and discharge
| Admission | Discharge | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirometry | |||
| FEV1 (L)* | 0.69 (0.28) | 0.75 (0.31) | <0.001 |
| FVC (L)* | 1.51 (0.56) | 1.63 (0.54) | 0.02 |
| FEV1%predicted (%)* | 30.5 (11.2) | 33.7 (12.2) | <0.001 |
| FEV1/FVC ratio (%)* | 47.4 (12.8) | 48.9 (13.2) | 0.184 |
| Inspiratory capacity (L)† | 1.39 (0.58) | 1.56 (0.63) | <0.001 |
| Symptom scores | |||
| Modified Borg scale | 3 (2–5) | 2 (1–3) | <0.001 |
| COPD assessment test | 29 (24–32.75) | 24 (17–29) | <0.001 |
| Routine observations | |||
| SpO2 (%) | 92.6 (3.5) | 93.4 (2.8) | 0.024 |
| Temperature (°C) | 36.5 (0.6) | 36.3 (0.5) | 0.023 |
| Heart rate (/min) | 97.2 (15.8) | 84.8 (12.9) | <0.001 |
| Respiratory rate (/min) | 23.1 (4.3) | 20.4 (2.4) | 0.024 |
| MEWS | 3 (2–5) | 2 (1–3) | <0.001 |
| Parasternal EMG parameters | |||
| Sniff (maximum) EMG (μV) | 74.8 (37.3) | 76.5 (39.1) | 0.35 |
| EMGpara%max (%) | 17.4 (8.2) | 15.8 (7.3) | 0.017 |
| NRDI (/min) | 372 (205) | 329 (196) | 0.018 |
Values are expressed as mean (SD) or median (IQR).
*N=100.
†N=93.
EMG, electromyography; MEWS, medical early warning score; NRDI, Neural Respiratory Drive Index; SpO2, transcutaneous oxygen saturation.