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Characterisation of exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and COPD in Europe: the GIANT study

¹ Servei de Pneumologia Institut Clínic del Tòrax Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
² University of Texas Health Sciences Centre,
³ Thoraxzentrum Ruhrgebiet, Kliniken fur Pneumologie und Infektiologie, Herne und Bochum, Germany
⁴ Ospedale Luigi Sacco, Milan, Italy
⁵ Bayer Schering Pharma, Bayer Vital GmbH, Leverkusen, Germany

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: MARCM{at}clinic.ub.es.

	Abstract

Objective: The GIANT study collected information on patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the effect of treatment with moxifloxacin.

Methods: AECB history, concomitant diseases, moxifloxacin treatment, concomitant medication, clinical symptoms and adverse events were recorded. A questionnaire at the end of treatment recorded the impact on patients’ daily lives.

Results: Among 9225 patients from eight European countries, marked variation was seen in characteristics including age, smoking history and type of exacerbation. Spirometry use was more common among chest physicians (66.7%) than GPs (15.5%). Patients with Anthonisen type 1 and 2 exacerbations had more frequent exacerbations and these patients experienced a greater impact on daily activities compared with patients with type 3 episodes. Patient symptoms improved with moxifloxacin treatment after a mean (SD) of 3.4 (1.8) days, allowing return to normal daily activities after 5.4 (4.4) days and with full recovery taking 6.5 (3.1) days.

Conclusions: Characteristics of patients with AECB and acute exacerbations of COPD differ among European countries. Spirometry is under-used, particularly in primary care and antibiotic treatment does not always follow current guidelines. Results confirm the efficacy of moxifloxacin in the treatment of AECB in real-life conditions.

First published on October 30, 2009, doi:10.1177/1753465809352791

Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease 2009;3:267.

A more recent version of this article appeared on December 1, 2009


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