The aim of this study is to provide high quality data and give a comprehensive overview of characteristics, clinical features, management and prognosis during exacerbations and stable periods among inpatients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in real-world China.

Objective: The aim of this study is to provide high quality data and give a comprehensive overview of characteristics, clinical features, management and prognosis during exacerbations and stable periods among inpatients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in real-world China.

Eligibility Criteria: Details are shown in the Eligibility Criteria part.

Procedures and Measurements: At admission, each eligible subject will be given an in-depth interview to collect the demographics, smoking history, medical history, management of disease during stable period, etc. During hospitalization, treatment and auxiliary examination results including laboratory and lung function tests will be recorded if available. To ensure the quality and uniformity of spirometry data, training on performing spirometry will be provided to each study site by professional doctors from central site. At discharge, physicians will record the discharge diagnoses and clinical outcomes including death, intensive care unit admission, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test (CAT) score and total direct cost for each participant. During follow-ups, clinical outcomes including death and exacerbation events, change of medication, new-developed complications, auxiliary examination results, and economic burden will be collected.

Inclusion Criteria:

• ≥18 years of age
• hospitalized with main diagnosis of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD)

Exclusion Criteria:

• refusing to sign informed consent forms
• participating in clinical trials or intervention studies of drugs
• diagnosed as active pulmonary tuberculosis, or acute left heart failure

Patients hospitalized with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will be consecutively recruited from target hospitals.

De-identified individual participant data that underlie the results (text, tables, figures, and appendices) reported in the publication of summary data, study protocol, statistical analysis plan (SAP), analytic code will be shared from 1 to 3 years following the completion of data cleaning. All above could be shared with researches who provide a methodologically sound and feasible proposal approved by principal investigator (email address: cyh-birm@263.net, dryangting@qq.com) and a signed data access agreement.

From 1 to 3 years following the completion of data cleaning.

Researches should send a proposal to cyh-birm@263.net or dryangting@qq.com. If the proposal is methodologically sound, feasible and approved by the principal investigator, data requestor could gain access after signing a data access agreement.