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Causes and Treatment of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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Summary

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by cough, excessive sputum production and dyspnoea resulting from irreversible airways obstruction. Cigarette smoking is the single most important risk factor for COPD; other aetiological factors include air pollution, occupational exposure, and infections. Additionally, host susceptibility and bronchial hyperreac-tivity determine the clinical manifestation of COPD. The most important therapeutic intervention in COPD is cessation of smoking, while bronchodilator therapy is effective in improving lung function.

Although patients with COPD are more susceptible to respiratory tract infections, the role of infection in initiating the disease is unclear. There is a lack of consensus over the value of antibiotic therapy in acute exacerbation of COPD; present evidence suggests, however, that antibiotics may reduce the severity and duration of such episodes.

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  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario UANL, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

    Javier Ramos-Jiménez

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  1. Javier Ramos-Jiménez
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Ramos-Jiménez, J. Causes and Treatment of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Drug Invest 3 (Suppl 3), 11–16 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03258329

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