The place of antibiotic therapy in the management of chronic acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis

In the USA, more than 16 million adults are affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic bronchitis has been estimated to affect up to 13 million individuals or approximately 4-6% of adults. Chronic bronchitis is an increasing cause of significant morbidity and mortality. During acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, subjects experience a worsening of bronchitic symptoms, with an increase from baseline in one or more or the following, dyspnoea, cough and/or sputum volume, purulence or viscosity. The severity of an exacerbation can be graded by how many of these symptoms are present. Antibiotic therapy should be initiated based on patient history and severity of the exacerbation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.