Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Sep;5(5):212-27.
doi: 10.1177/2040622314532862.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations: latest evidence and clinical implications

Hammad Qureshi  1 , Amir Sharafkhaneh  2 , Nicola A Hanania  3
Affiliations
Review

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations: latest evidence and clinical implications

Hammad Qureshi et al. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2014 Sep.

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and results in an economic and social burden that is both substantial and increasing. The natural history of COPD is punctuated by exacerbations which have major short- and long-term implications on the patient and healthcare system. Evidence-based guidelines stipulate that early detection and prompt treatment of exacerbations are essential to ensure optimal outcomes and to reduce the burden of COPD. Several factors can identify populations at risk of exacerbations. Implementing prevention measures in patients at risk is a major goal in the management of COPD.

Keywords: bronchodilators; chronic bronchitis; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; emphysema; exacerbation; prevention; treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in preparing this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Aaron S., Vandemheen K., Hebert P., Dales R., Stiell I., Ahuja J. (2003) Outpatient oral prednisone after emergency treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Eng J Med 348: 2618–2625 - PubMed
    1. Albert R., Connett J., Bailey W., Casaburi R., Cooper J., Jr, Criner G. (2011) Azithromycin for prevention of exacerbations of COPD. N Eng J Med 365: 689–698 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Albert R., Martin T., Lewis S. (1980) Controlled clinical trial of methylprednisolone in patients with chronic bronchitis and acute respiratory insufficiency. Ann Intern Med 92: 753–758 - PubMed
    1. Alfageme I., Vazquez R., Reyes N., Muñoz J., Fernández A., Hernández M. (2006) Clinical efficacy of anti-pneumococcal vaccination in patients with COPD. Thorax 61: 189–195 - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (2010) Standards for the diagnosis and management of patients with COPD. Version 1.2. Available at: www.thoracic.org/go/copd (accessed 13 September 2010).