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COPD Emergency Department Visits by County, Age-adjusted Rate per 10,000 Population, New Mexico, 2016-2020

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COPD Emergency Department Visits by County, Age-adjusted Rate per 10,000 Population, New Mexico, 2016-2020

Why Is This Important?

COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a chronic lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. It is a progressive disease, which means that the disease gets worse over time. The disease isn't passed from person to person, it is not contagious. However, COPD is a life threatening lung disease that may progressively lead to death and thus needs to be treated. The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, a chronic cough that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms. COPD develops slowly. Symptoms often worsen over time and can limit the ability to do routine activities. Severe COPD may prevent people from doing even basic activities like walking, cooking, or taking care of themselves. COPD has no cure yet and doctors don't know how to reverse the damage to the airways and lungs. However, COPD is often preventable and treatable. Treatments and lifestyle changes can help those affected feel better, stay more active, and slow the progress of the disease. Early detection of COPD is key to successful treatment. Knowing the symptoms or exposures to risk factors (see below) may lead to early diagnosis of COPD. COPD is a major cause of disability; was the fourth and fifth leading cause of death in the United States in 2015-2020, third in the world in 2018. COPD is the 8th leading cause of hospitalization in the United States with over 174.5 admissions per 100,000 population, excluding maternal and child bearing, in 2018. Since 1993, the rate of admission for COPD in women surpasses that of men. Further, hospitalization rates generally increase with age, and are highest in those 65 years of age and older. It is estimated that nearly 24% of all Americans 65 years and older have COPD. COPD hospitalizations have declined in recent years, dramatically in 2020. In the past, COPD was more common in men; however, since 1993, the rate of admission for COPD in women has surpassed that of men, in New Mexico.

Definition

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a chronic lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. A COPD Emergency Department (ED) visit is a trip to the ED by a New Mexico resident that occurs with COPD listed as the primary (first-listed) diagnosis of a New Mexico resident. A COPD diagnosis includes the ICD-9-CM codes 490-492 or 496 or 493.2* when 490-492 or 496 is present on any secondary diagnoses, and, after 10/2015, the ICD-10-CM codes J40-J44. Measures include: 1) the number of COPD ED visits by age, sex, county, small areas (for years with geocoded data), month and or year, 2) Average COPD ED visits by month, 3) crude rate of COPD ED visits per 10,000 population by age, sex, county, small areas, month and or years, 4) age-adjusted rate of COPD ED visits per 10,000 population by age, sex, county, small areas , month and or years. Data for combined years 2010-2020.

Data Notes

Rates have been age-adjusted using the direct method and the 2000 U.S. standard population.

Data Sources

  • Emergency Department (ED) dataset, Health Systems Epidemiology Program, New Mexico Department of Health
  • New Mexico Population Estimates: University of New Mexico, Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program.
    (http://gps.unm.edu/)

How the Measure is Calculated

  • Numerator:

    Number of all ED visits where COPD is the primary (first-listed) diagnosis, including those admitted as inpatients in that hospital or transferred to another hospital.
  • Denominator:

    Estimated total number of New Mexico residents in a specified population over a specified time period (mid-year estimates).

Data Issues

  • Emergency Department (ED) dataset

    ICD Stands for 'International Classification of Diseases.' It is a coding system maintained by the World Health Organization and the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics and is used to classify diagnoses for hospital and emergency department visits. This coding system underwent a major revision from version 9 (ICD9) to version 10 that went into effect October 1, 2015. In most cases, the two versions do not provide comparable results and the two time periods should not be combined in a trend line. The emergency department data include visits to NON-FEDERAL HOSPITALS only. Visits to Veteran's Administration (VA) facilities and Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities have not been included, unless specifically stated otherwise. The data include all emergency department visits. An individual will be counted more than once if he or she had more than one visit over the time period. The emergency department dataset includes only New Mexico residents hospitalized in New Mexico hospitals, and may undercount injury ED visits of New Mexico residents. In cases of serious injuries near the state borders, oftentimes patients will be transported to a nearby trauma center in the bordering state.

  • New Mexico Population Estimates

    All population estimates apply to July 1 of the selected year. These estimates are considered the most accurate estimates for the state of New Mexico and should match those found on the University of New Mexico Geospatial and Population Studies website. Estimates include decimal fractions. Census tract population estimates were summed to produce County and Small Area population estimates. Population estimate totals may vary due to rounding. Population estimates for previous years are occasionally revised as new information becomes available. When publishing trend data, always be sure that your rates for earlier years match current rates on NM-IBIS that have been calculated with the most up-to-date population estimates.

Health Topic Pages Related to: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Emergency Department Visits

Indicator Data Last Updated On 09/13/2022, Published on 09/13/2022
Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau, Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, 1190 S. Saint Francis Drive, Suite 1300, Santa Fe, NM 87505, Srikanth Paladugu, Bureau Chief, Srikanth.Paladugu@doh.nm.gov, or Stephanie Moraga-McHaley, Environmental Epidemiologist Supervisor, Stephanie.Moraga-Mc@doh.nm.gov