Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34992357›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Terms and Definitions Used to Describe Recurrence, Treatment Failure and Recovery of Acute Exacerbations of COPD: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies.

Wilhelmine H Meeraus, Bailey M DeBarmore, Hana Mullerova, William A Fahy, Victoria S Benson

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Early detection and prediction of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Chinese medical journal pulmonary and critical care medicine · 2023
    Review
  5. COPD Exacerbation Syndrome: The Spanish Perspective on an Old Dilemma.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2022
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Wilhelmine H MeerausEpidemiology - Value Evidence and Outcomes, Global Medical R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, UK.
Bailey M DeBarmoreEpidemiology - Value Evidence and Outcomes, Global Medical R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Hana MullerovaEpidemiology - Value Evidence and Outcomes, Global Medical R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0949-0101
William A FahyDiscovery Medicine, Research and Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK.
Victoria S BensonEpidemiology - Value Evidence and Outcomes, Global Medical R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3775-1401
GlaxoSmithKline (United Kingdom) · GBGlaxoSmithKline (France) · FR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAcute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPDs) are important clinical events, with many patients experiencing multiple AECOPDs annually. The terms used in the literature to define recurring AECOPD events are inconsistent and may impact the ability to describe the true burden of these events. We undertook a systematic review to identify and summarize terms and definitions used in observational studies to describe AECOPD-related events occurring after an initial AECOPD (hereafter "subsequent AECOPD").

methodsPubMed was searched (2000-2019) for observational studies on subsequent AECOPD events using broad search strings for "COPD", "exacerbation", and "subsequent exacerbation events". Only English-language studies were included. Small studies (n<50) and studies focusing on hospital re-admission only were excluded. Extracted data were analyzed descriptively to generate a narrative summary, using a thematic approach to group studies utilizing similar terms for subsequent AECOPD.

resultsForty-seven studies were included. No single, distinct terms or definitions were used to define and identify multiple occurrences of AECOPDs, though most (46) studies used one or more of four clustered terms and definitions: reapse (n = 13), recurrence/re-exacerbation (n = 11), treatment failure (n = 12) and non-recovery/time to recovery (n = 16). Heterogeneity was observed within and between the four clusters with respect to study setting, starting point for observing subsequent AECOPDs, time frame to identify a subsequent AECOPD (except for studies using "time to recovery"), and basis for identifying a subsequent exacerbation.

conclusionOur review demonstrates that subsequent AECOPDs (including events such as relapse, recurrence/re-exacerbation, treatment failure, non-recovery/time to recovery) are ill-defined in the observational study literature, emphasizing the need to reach consensus on precise and objective definitions (for example, when one AECOPD ends and another begins). Use of standardized terminology and definitions may aid comparability between, and synthesis of, studies, thus improving the understanding of the natural history and burden of exacerbations in COPD patients.

Indexed as

Pulmonary Disease, Chronic ObstructiveDisease ProgressionHumansObservational Studies as TopicTreatment Failurechronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseexacerbationrecurrencereview

Identifiers

PMID34992357
PMCPMC8713707
OpenAlexW4200211849

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.