Conclusion
In conclusion, we found that admission between Thursday
and Saturday, PaCO2, serum albumin level, and comorbidities such as heart failure, diabetes, and stroke were associated with LOS. The reported fndings may help physicians
to identify patients at risk of a long LOS in the early stages
of an AECOPD admission, and thus introduce the possibility of offering better follow-up. However, we were unable
to create a robust scoring model for risk stratifcation that
would have been useful for discharge planning. The reasons
for prolonged LOS are probably multidimensional, and
future studies should focus on both patient- and non-patientrelated factors