Project description:For decades, there is an unresolved debate about adequate prescription of antibiotics for patients suffering from exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this systematic review was to analyse randomised controlled trials investigating the clinical benefit of antibiotics for COPD exacerbations.We conducted a systematic review of randomised, placebo-controlled trials assessing the effects of antibiotics on clinically relevant outcomes in patients with an exacerbation. We searched bibliographic databases, scrutinized reference lists and conference proceedings and asked the pharmaceutical industry for unpublished data. We used fixed-effects models to pool results. The primary outcome was treatment failure of COPD exacerbation treatment.We included 13 trials (1557 patients) of moderate to good quality. For the effects of antibiotics on treatment failure there was much heterogeneity across all trials (I(2) = 75%) [corrected] Meta-regression revealed severity of exacerbation as significant explanation for this heterogeneity (p = 0.038) [corrected] Antibiotics did not reduce treatment failures in outpatients with mild to moderate exacerbations (pooled odds ratio 1.81, 95% CI 0.55-1.18, I(2) = 13%) [corrected] Inpatients with severe exacerbations had a substantial benefit on treatment failure rates (pooled odds ratio of 0.25, 95% CI 0.16-0.39, I2 = 0%; number-needed to treat of 4, 95% CI 3-5) and on mortality (pooled odds ratio of 0.20, 95% CI 0.06-0.62, I2 = 0%; number-needed to treat of 14, 95% CI 12-30).Antibiotics effectively reduce treatment failure and mortality rates in COPD patients with severe exacerbations. For patients with mild to moderate exacerbations, antibiotics may not be generally indicated and further research is needed to guide antibiotic prescription in these patients.
Project description:ObjectiveRespiratory viruses are a common trigger for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a paramyxovirus associated with respiratory tract infections and wheezing. Our aim was to determine whether hMPV was associated with exacerbations of COPD.MethodsThe study was designed as an observational cohort study carried out in a 944-bed urban teaching hospital located in New Haven, Connecticut. Between December 2002 and May 2003, patients hospitalized due to an exacerbation of COPD were identified. Nasopharyngeal specimens obtained from these patients were tested for human metapneumovirus by RT-PCR and for respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and B, parainfluenza-1, -2, and -3 and adenovirus by a cytospin-enhanced direct immunofluorescence assay and/or viral culture.ResultsFifty individuals met enrollment criteria and hMPV was identified in 6 (12%), respiratory syncytial virus in 4 (8%), influenza A in 2 (4%) and parainfluenza type 3 in 1 (2%) patients. Both A and B hMPV genotypes were identified in patients hospitalized due to exacerbations of COPD.ConclusionhMPV was frequently identified in patients hospitalized due to an exacerbation of COPD. Further studies are necessary to determine the epidemiology and the impact of hMPV in COPD patients.
Project description:Specific bacterial species are implicated in the pathogenesis of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, recent studies of clinically stable COPD patients have demonstrated a greater diversity of airway microbiota, whose role in acute exacerbations is unclear. In this study, temporal changes in the airway microbiome before, at the onset of, and after an acute exacerbation were examined in 60 sputum samples collected from subjects enrolled in a longitudinal study of bacterial infection in COPD. Microbiome composition and predicted functions were examined using 16S rRNA-based culture-independent profiling methods. Shifts in the abundance (? 2-fold, P < 0.05) of many taxa at exacerbation and after treatment were observed. Microbiota members that were increased at exacerbation were primarily of the Proteobacteria phylum, including nontypical COPD pathogens. Changes in the bacterial composition after treatment for an exacerbation differed significantly among the therapy regimens clinically prescribed (antibiotics only, oral corticosteroids only, or both). Treatment with antibiotics alone primarily decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria, with the prolonged suppression of some microbiota members being observed. In contrast, treatment with corticosteroids alone led to enrichment for Proteobacteria and members of other phyla. Predicted metagenomes of particular microbiota members involved in these compositional shifts indicated exacerbation-associated loss of functions involved in the synthesis of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory products, alongside enrichment in functions related to pathogen-elicited inflammation. These trends reversed upon clinical recovery. Further larger studies will be necessary to determine whether specific compositional or functional changes detected in the airway microbiome could be useful indicators of exacerbation development or outcome.
Project description:Purpose: COPD patients often do not report acute exacerbations to healthcare providers - unreported exacerbations. It is not known whether variances in symptoms, airway obstruction, aetiology and inflammatory responses account for differences in reporting of COPD exacerbations. The aims of the study were to compare symptoms, lung function changes, aetiology and inflammatory markers between exacerbations that were reported to healthcare providers or treated, with those that were unreported and untreated. Patients and methods: We recruited a cohort of COPD patients and collected clinical data and blood and airway samples when stable and during acute exacerbations. Virological and bacterial analyses were carried out and inflammatory markers measured. Results: We found no differences in symptoms, lung function, incidence of infection and inflammatory markers between reported and unreported exacerbations. Subjects who reported all exacerbations had higher BODE scores, lower FEV1 and more exacerbations compared with those who did not. Conclusion: The failure to report exacerbations is not related to the severity, aetiology or inflammatory profile of the exacerbation. Patients with less severe COPD and less frequent exacerbations are less likely to report exacerbations. The decision to report an exacerbation is not an objective marker of exacerbation severity and therefore studies that do not count unreported exacerbations will underestimate the frequency of clinically significant exacerbations. A better understanding of the factors that determine non-reporting of exacerbations is required to improve exacerbation reporting. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01376830. Registered June 17, 2011.
Project description: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.
Project description:Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have elevated cardiovascular risk, and myocardial injury is common during severe exacerbations. Little is known about the prevalence, magnitude, and underlying mechanisms of cardiovascular risk in community-treated exacerbations.To investigate how COPD exacerbations and exacerbation frequency impact cardiovascular risk and myocardial injury, and whether this is related to airway infection and inflammation.We prospectively measured arterial stiffness (aortic pulse wave velocity [aPWV]) and cardiac biomarkers in 98 patients with stable COPD. Fifty-five patients had paired stable and exacerbation assessments, repeated at Days 3, 7, 14, and 35 during recovery. Airway infection was identified using polymerase chain reaction.COPD exacerbation frequency was related to stable-state arterial stiffness (rho = 0.209; P = 0.040). Frequent exacerbators had greater aPWV than infrequent exacerbators (mean ± SD aPWV, 11.4 ± 2.1 vs. 10.3 ± 2.0 ms(-1); P = 0.025). Arterial stiffness rose by an average of 1.2 ms(-1) (11.1%) from stable state to exacerbation (n = 55) and fell slowly during recovery. In those with airway infection at exacerbation (n = 24) this rise was greater (1.4 ± 1.6 vs. 0.7 ± 1.3 ms(-1); P = 0.048); prolonged; and related to sputum IL-6 (rho = 0.753; P < 0.001). Increases in cardiac biomarkers at exacerbation were higher in those with ischemic heart disease (n = 12) than those without (n = 43) (mean ± SD increase in troponin T, 0.011 ± 0.009 vs. 0.003 ± 0.006 ?g/L, P = 0.003; N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, 38.1 ± 37.7 vs. 5.9 ± 12.3 pg/ml, P < 0.001).Frequent COPD exacerbators have greater arterial stiffness than infrequent exacerbators. Arterial stiffness rises acutely during COPD exacerbations, particularly with airway infection. Increases in arterial stiffness are related to inflammation, and are slow to recover. Myocardial injury is common and clinically significant during COPD exacerbations, particularly in those with underlying ischemic heart disease.
Project description:The 2011 recommendations of the Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) constituted a major paradigm shift in COPD management since they set 2 major goals for the assessment and management of patients: (1) the reduction of their current level of symptoms (i.e., treat the patient today); and (2) the reduction of their risk of exacerbations (i.e., prevent them tomorrow). Exacerbations are not only an important clinical endpoint in patients with COPD, but they are also a risk factor themselves for additional adverse outcomes since they have been shown to increase the risk for mortality, to accelerate the decline in pulmonary function, and to decrease health status and quality of life. Despite their importance, many unanswered questions related to exacerbations remain. The purpose of this review is to discuss: (1)knowns and unknowns in our current understanding of exacerbations, (2) what known factors increase their risk, and (3) how to best prevent them.
Project description:The impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations on decline in FEV(1) has been a controversial topic for decades. We will review some of the key studies in this area and discuss potential contributors to inconsistent results of these studies. Dissecting the heterogeneous COPD syndrome into meaningful subtypes and assessing the genetic and environmental influences on COPD-related phenotypes such as exacerbation frequency could clarify the impact of exacerbations on the natural history of COPD.