Table 1 Panellists experience on ICS withdrawal in COPD patients.
Results by specialty | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total sample | General practitioners | Pulmonologists | p value | ||
Patients’ distribution per panellist, in the last year | N respondents | 127 | 45 | 82 | |
Total COPD patients seen in the last year, mean | 300 | 97 | 410 | <0.0001 | |
ICS-treated patients, N (%) | 117 (37.1%) | 29 (28.2%) | 165 (42.0%) | <0.0001 | |
ICS-treated patients eligible for ICS withdrawal, % | 22.0% | 24.9% | 20.4% | <0.0001 | |
Have you ever withdrawn ICS treatment from any COPD patient? Yes, n (%) | 119 (93.7) | 40 (88.9) | 79 (96.3) | 0.098 | |
Patients withdrawn from ICS treatment, % | 17.2% | 14.5% | 18.5% | 0.207 | |
Patients that refused ICS withdrawal, % | 8.6% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 0.251 | |
Patients distribution per panellist (only those who have withdrawn an ICS treatment in the last year) | N respondents | 111 | 34 | 76 | |
Reason for ICS withdrawal, % | |||||
No longer indication for ICS | 49.5% | 49.2% | 49.6% | 0.956 | |
Lack of response to ICS | 27.1% | 27.4% | 26.9% | 0.935 | |
Pneumonia | 11.8% | 12.2% | 11.6% | 0.880 | |
Fear of adverse events to ICS | 11.2% | 11.2% | 11.3% | 0.979 | |
Other | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.7% | 0.256 | |
Outcome of ICS withdrawal, % | |||||
Remained with no exacerbations within 6 months after ICS withdrawal | 75.0% | 77.0% | 74.0% | 0.500 | |
Needed ICS treatment reintroduction within 6 months after ICS withdrawal | 16.0% | 12.0% | 18.0% | 0.069 | |
Reasons for ICS re-introduction (only among those who needed a re-introduction), % | N respondents | 81 | 19 | 62 | |
Patient preference | 16.0% | 28.0% | 12.0% | 0.010 | |
Increased symptoms | 37.0% | 35.0% | 37.0% | 0.762 | |
Exacerbation | 42.0% | 37.0% | 44.0% | 0.387 | |
Other | 5.0% | 0.0% | 6.0% | 0.166 | |
