Li Q, et al. - In this observational cohort study involving a retrospective analysis of 479 patients, researchers assessed outcomes related to high blood eosinophil count (HBEC) following a first hospitalization for COPD exacerbation. They analyzed data of patients with a first hospitalization within 5 years for COPD exacerbation and stratified the participants into the HBEC group if the blood eosinophil count at admission was ≥200 cells/µL and/or ≥2% of the total white blood cells. Readmissions and death were modeled as states in a multi-state Markov model and transition probabilities to the next states were calculated. HBEC was present in 173 patients. For a first readmission, 74% and 70% were estimated to be transition probabilities for patients with HBEC vs for patients with normal blood eosinophil count (NBEC), respectively. The transition probabilities for a second readmission were 91% for HBEC patients vs 83% for NBEC patients. Increased susceptibility to up to two readmissions was predicted by greater blood eosinophil cell counts during a first hospitalization for COPD. However, a lower risk of death could be seen in these patients.