International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyEfficacy of amoxycillin versus amoxycillin/clavulanate in acute exacerbations of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease in primary care.
Amoxycillin/clavulanate is considered first-line treatment for ambulatory exacerbations of COPD. However, narrow-spectrum antibiotics may be as useful for mild to moderate patients. ⋯ Amoxycillin was at least as effective clinically and as safe as amoxycilin/ clavulanate in the treatment of acute exacerbations of COPD in mild to moderate patients in primary care.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialPilot study of a cell phone-based exercise persistence intervention post-rehabilitation for COPD.
To determine the feasibility and efficacy of a six-month, cell phone-based exercise persistence intervention for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following pulmonary rehabilitation. ⋯ We showed that it is feasible to deliver a cell phone-based exercise persistence intervention to patients with COPD post-rehabilitation and that the addition of coaching appeared to be no better than self-monitoring. The latter finding needs to be interpreted with caution since this was a purely exploratory study.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyDesensitization to dyspnea in COPD with specificity for exercise training mode.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibit improved exercise capacity after physical training due to reconditioning and improved ventilatory efficiency. Other possible effects are improved ventilatory muscle function and desensitization to dyspnea. We compared general physical training (GPT), consisting of walking and stair climbing exercises, with inspiratory muscle training (IMT), consisting of targeted breathing through inspiratory resistances, in two groups with severe COPD. ⋯ Breathlessness by visual analog scale was reduced following 6-minute walks after GPT (P < 0.05) but not after IMT. Following maximal incremental tests, breathlessness scores were unchanged for both groups. COPD patients performing regular physical exercise report reductions in breathlessness which are specific to the exercise training mode.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialPredictive value and utility of oral steroid testing for treatment of COPD in primary care: the COOPT study.
The oral prednisolone test is widely used to distinguish chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who might benefit from inhaled steroid treatment. Previous studies used selected patient groups that did not represent the large COPD population in primary care. ⋯ Oral steroid testing identifies a limited proportion of COPD patients, but does not reveal any clinically relevant benefit from inhaled steroid treatment on health status. No significant effects on exacerbation rate and lung function decline occurred.