Antibiotics, systemic steroids backed for COPD exacerbation

Treatment with antibiotics or systemic corticosteroids supported, authors say
Reuters Health Staff writer
Jar of capsules

Evidence supports the use of antibiotics and systemic corticosteroids for treating patients with mild to severe exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, say US researchers.

Researchers from Mayo Clinic, in Minnesota, evaluated the comparative effectiveness and adverse events of pharmacological interventions for adults with exacerbation of COPD in their systematic review of 68 randomised controlled trials that included 10,758 participants.