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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease that has high morbidity and mortality in Korea. Since an
acute exacerbation can place a great burden not only on COPD patients but also on the community, the prevention and treatment of
this condition is becoming more important. An acute exacerbation of COPD is defined as an event in the natural course of the disease,
characterized by a change in the patient’s baseline dyspnea, cough, or sputum that is beyond the day-to-day variation, is acute
in onset, and may warrant a change in regular medication. Among the causes of exacerbation, bacteria are the most common
etiology. The data of Joo et al. in this issue best describe the relevant pathogens causing COPD exacerbation in Korea. Knowing the
prevalent pathogens and their antibiogram is crucial when selecting the antibiotics to use. Their manuscript provides recent information
on the bacterial etiology of COPD exacerbation. (Korean J Med 77:306-308, 2009) |
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