ABSTRACT
The diagnosis and treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is controversial. In this chapter, we will review (1) the epidemiology of this condition; (2) the etiology-many patients with AECOPD are thought to have a combination of viral and bacterial infections, which contribute to their exacerbation; bacterial organisms are isolated more commonly after viral infections in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the role that bacterial infections play in AECOPD remains a very controversial topic; (3) the use of diagnostic procedures; (4) the efficacy of antibiotics; (5) clinical parameters used to stratify patients’ severity; (6) the different groups of antibiotics that can be used; and (7) other therapies, including bronchodilators. We will summarize the current literature with special emphasis on the safety and efficacy of the commonly prescribed drugs.
