Systemic steroids in acute exacerbation of COPD - from guidelines to bedside.
The optimal steroid dosages in AECOPD are still under debate. Admission records of patients in our hospital from January to December 2008 due to a diagnosis of AECOPD were reviewed. More wheezing and tachypnea were noted in the patients with a maximal daily prednisolone dose more than 60 mg. The steroid dose was higher in AECOPD without pneumonia than those concurrent with pneumonia. Those who had concurrent pneumonia had a higher risk of nosocomial infections. The study reflects the heterogeneity of AECOPD and that steroid dosages were determined by the clinical evaluation of the severity of illness and bacterial infections.
Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
P-H
PH
Wang
S-L
SL
Cheng
H-C
HC
Wang
H-T
HT
Chang
Y-L
YL
Hsu
Y-S
YS
Chen
C-Y
CY
Chang
D000208:Acute Disease; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones