Acute Exacerbations in COPD

The pronounced variability in the incidence and severity of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD, makes effective treatment more difficult, and the social and economic costs of these diseases all the greater. Acute exacerbations are multi-factorial in origin, and are known to be linked with a number of agents including allergens, atmospheric pollution and infectious agents. Effective treatment requires a similarly complex approach that addresses each of the component causes. This text brings together current knowledge of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of these episodes, a