LAUSR

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently experience unplanned hospital readmissions leading to increased morbidity [1]. The European COPD Audit found that 35% of patients admitted with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) were readmitted within 90 days [2]. In the USA, 22% of patients admitted with AECOPD experienced a 30-day readmission, motivating financial policies to incentivise readmission reduction [1]. Interventions to decrease the risk of readmissions have had mixed results [3]. In a previously published, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial (MACRO), azithromycin taken daily for 1 year reduced the risk of COPD exacerbations [4]. We hypothesised that patients taking long-term azithromycin in the MACRO study who experienced an index hospitalisation for an AECOPD would have a decreased risk of readmission when compared to the placebo arm. Patients with COPD who were randomised to azithromycin did not experience prolonged time to hospital readmission. There was a trend toward decreased risk of readmission when adjusted for total exposure to azithromycin. http://ow.ly/NAzI30nb651