Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects a large number of
subjects worldwide and is characterised by a progressively rising
epidemiological, clinical and socio-economic impact. The objectives of
treatment are to decrease the burden of the disease through relief of
symptoms, improvement of exercise tolerance, and prevention and
treatment of exacerbations.
Original research to investigate the long-term impact on health related
quality of life (HRQL) of the antibiotic treatment of exacerbations of
COPD in general practice, has been released in a new
research paper, available from Dove
Medical Press.
The investigation, comparing the effect of treatment of COPD
exacerbations with moxifloxacin (400 mg/day for five days) and
amoxicillin/clavulanate (500/125 mg three times a day for 10 days) on
HRQL, is authored by Marc Miravitlles, Carles Llor, Jesús Molina, et al
on behalf of the EVOCA Study Group, in Barcelona, Spain.
The EVOCA study was a prospective, observational, multi-centre study of
a cohort of patients with COPD followed in primary care over a two-year
period.
Eligible patients for the research were adults over 40 years of age,
smokers or ex-smokers of at least 10 pack-years, with chronic bronchitis
characterised by persistent cough and sputum production for three months
per year for at least two consecutive years, and stable COPD.