title: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care setting in Spain: the EPOCAP study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was designed to describe the clinical profile of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the treatment prescribed by primary care physicians (PCPs) in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational, multicenter and cross-sectional study was performed in patients diagnosed with acute exacerbation of COPD and treated by PCPs. Patients diagnosed with asthma, cystic fibrosis, significant bronchiectasis or pneumonia were not included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 329 general physicians recruited 1088 evaluable patients across the country. Mean age was 66.5+/-10.2 years; male : female ratio was 3 : 1. Spirometry was performed in 28.3% of the patients. The number of acute exacerbations in the last year was 3.3+/-2.5; 88.7% had increased expectoration, 87.5% increased dyspnea, 64.4% increased sputum purulence, and 43.5% fever. A total of 6.1% (n = 59) of patients were hospitalized due to exacerbation. The most frequently prescribed medications were antibiotics (84.5%, n = 919), mucolytic agents (72.5%, n = 789), inhaled corticosteroids (ICs) (71.3%, n = 776), and short-acting beta-adrenergic drugs (67.8%, n = 738). Oral corticosteroids were prescribed to 436 patients (40.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical profile of acute exacerbations of COPD treated in a primary care setting in Spain was characterized by shortness of breath and increased sputum production. Patients were managed by PCP mainly in outpatient clinics with antibiotics, mucolytic agents, inhaled corticosteroids, oral corticosteroids and short-acting beta-adrenergic agents. The percentage of patients with confirmed diagnosis of COPD by pulmonary function tests was very low.
authors.affiliation: Hospital General de Catalunya, Unidad de Neumologia, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murio
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: Maite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calero
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Manzano
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013030:Spain; D013147:Spirometry; D013183:Sputum / Q000378:metabolism