title: [Viral infection in acute exacerbation of COPD].
abstract: According to international recommendations, severe COPD exacerbations should be treated with antibiotics. However, these recommendations are based on limited evidence, including old studies with small group of patients. Systematic virological testing by RT-PCR suggests that viruses are responsible for more than half of these exacerbations, although the causal link is not yet clearly established. To date, neither clinical nor biological markers can help distinguish an exacerbation caused by a virus from those due to other causes.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine interne, Hôpital de la Tour, Meyrin. Omar.Kherad@latour.ch
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kherad
authors.forename: Pierre-Olivier
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Bridevaux
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rutschmann
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers