Efficacy and safety of oral corticosteroids to treat outpatients with acute exacerbations of COPD in primary care: a multicentre pragmatic randomised controlled study.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

To compare prednisone and placebo for the treatment of outpatients treated for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a primary care setting.

Methods

A multicentre, parallel, double-blind, pragmatic randomised controlled trial was performed in France. A total of 66 general practitioners included patients aged ≥40 years with cumulative smoking of ≥10 pack-years and a diagnosis of certain or likely acute exacerbation of COPD. Oral prednisone (40 mg) or placebo were administered daily for 5 days. The main outcome was treatment failure at 8 weeks, defined as a composite criterion based on the occurrence of at least one of the following: unplanned visit to an emergency department or to a practitioner in the ambulatory setting, hospital admissio

SUBMITTER: Thebault JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10493709 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature