Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
An acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB), is a sudden worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms including shortness of breath, quantity and color of phlegm that typically lasts for several days.
| Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) |
| Chest X-ray in a case of COPD exacerbation where a nasopharyngeal swab detected Haemophilus influenzae, with right-sided opacities | |
| Specialty | Respirology, emergency medicine |
It may be triggered by an infection with bacteria or viruses or by environmental pollutants. Typically, infections cause 75% or more of the exacerbations; bacteria can roughly be found in 25% of cases, viruses in another 25%, and both viruses and bacteria in another 25%. Airway inflammation is increased during the exacerbation resulting in increased hyperinflation, reduced expiratory air flow and decreased gas exchange.
Exacerbations can be classified as mild, moderate, and severe. As COPD progresses, exacerbations tend to become more frequent, the average being about three episodes per year.