Systemic corticosteroids for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease that affects up to 24 million people in the United States and leads to substantial disability and death.1 Patients with COPD have about three acute exacerbations of their disease per year,2 many of which result in unscheduled visits to a physician or emergency department and to hospitalization. Although it is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the United States1 and the sixth worldwide,3 COPD is predicted to be the third leading cause of death and fifth leading cause of disability in the world by 2020.3 Although there is no . . .