ECONOMIC IMPACT OF EXACERBATIONS
A further consequence of acute exacerbations of COPD is the great economic burden associated with themedical care required for these patients. Exacerbations are the largest direct cost for the treatment of COPD [5, 6, 56, 57]. The major component was hospitalisations, which represented 58% of the total cost, followed by the medication acquisition cost of 32.2% [5].