By: James Pitt  Jun. 01, 2018

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) is a common lung disease, mainly caused by smoking. There is evidence that COPD patients are at greater risk of mortality when exposed to air pollution, particularly particulate matter. Dexur analysts examined 2016 CMS inpatient discharge data from 20 Oklahoma hospitals with over 1,000 discharges that year. The incidence of COPD varied dramatically across hospitals, from 5.61% of total Medicare discharges at Jackson County Memorial Hospital to 0.54% at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City.