ABSTRACT
There are several reasons to assess the severity of COPD exacerbations. First,
assessment of severity can be helpful clinically to triage the patient to the appropriate
level of medical care. It helps the physician target the intensity of therapy and may
help to prognosticate patient outcomes. Second, a severity assessment may be
helpful from a health-care economic standpoint. In a single-payer health-care
system, resources can be directed to areas based on the numbers and severity of
exacerbations. In a third-party payer system, payment might be tied to the severity
level of the exacerbation. Finally, assessment of the severity of an exacerbation could
provide a standard by which various studies of exacerbation can be compared. This
is important for evaluating new therapies and for examining the natural history of the
disease.
