Underlying and immediate causes of death in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BMC Pulmonary Medicine

Table 4 Causes of death in different types of disease progression

	Rapid (n = 40)	Moderate (n = 42)	Slow (n = 45)	p-value^a
Total N of deaths (%)	40 (100)	41 (97.6)	36 (80.0)	< 0.001
Underlying cause of death
IPF	29 (72.5)	22 (53.7)	28 (77.8)	0.056
Pneumonia	2 (5.0)	1 (2.4)		0.387
Ischemic heart disease	5 (12.5)	9 (22.0)	3 (8.3)	0.216
Lung cancer	1 (2.5)	4 (9.8)	2 (5.6)	0.384
Pulmonary embolism	1 (2.5)		1 (2.8)	0.575
Colon cancer		1 (2.4)	1 (2.8)	0.586
COPD		1 (2.4)		0.393
Other^b	1 (2.0)	3 (4.9)	1 (2.8)
Immediate cause of death
IPF	20 (50.0)	16 (39.0)	18 (50.0)	0.524
Pneumonia	10 (25.0)	9 (22.0)	6 (16.7)	0.672
Ischemic heart disease	5 (12.5)	7 (17.1)	3 (8.3)	0.518
Heart failure^c	1 (2.5)	3 (7.3)	4 (11.1)	0.328
Lung cancer	1 (2.5)	2 (4.9)	2 (5.6)	0.783
Pulmonary embolism	1 (2.5)		1 (2.8)	0.575
Colon cancer		1 (2.4)	1 (2.8)	0.586
Other^d	2 (4.1)	3 (7.3)	1 (2.8)
Exacerbations preceding death
Acute exacerbation	8 (20.0)	1 (2.4)	2 (5.4)	0.014
Suspected acute exacerbation^e	15 (37.5)	6 (14.3)	10 (27.0)	0.056

p-values calculated using Fisher test
Rapid = survival ≤2 years, moderate = survival 2–5 years, slow = survival ≥5 years
IPF idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
^ap-value between the groups of different disease progression
^bSick sinus syndrome (N = 1), cerebral infarction (N = 1), aortic rupture (N = 1), ileum strangulation (N = 1), heart failure (N = 1), drowning (N = 1)
^cFor any reason, including cor pulmonale
^dCerebral infarction (N = 1), aortic arteriosclerosis (N = 1), ileum strangulation (N = 1), hypotension (N = 1), respiratory failure due to COPD (N = 1), drowning (N = 1)
^eNo HRCT confirmation

ISSN: 1471-2466