Treating acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis in the face of antibiotic resistance

Abstract

Antibiotics can be effective against acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but with bacterial resistance to multiple antibiotics increasing worldwide, appropriate antibiotic selection is critical. Categorizing patients with acute exacerbations according to age, number of exacerbations per year, disease severity, degree of pulmonary impairment, and presence of comorbid conditions helps to direct therapy.