ATS/ERS Prevention and Management of COPD Exacerbations Guideline Summary - Guideline Central

Design and created by Guideline Central in participation with the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society.

Document Overview

Document Title: Prevention and Management of COPD Exacerbations

Authoring Societies

American Thoracic Society

European Respiratory Society

Document Publication Date: Mar 1, 2017

Page Last Reviewed/Updated: May 5, 2026

Document Type: Guideline

Country of Publication: Global

Full Text Freely Available: Yes

Full Text Guideline: erj.ersjournals.com/content/49/3/1600791.long

Source Citation: Wedzicha JA, Calverley PMA, Albert RK, et al. Prevention of COPD exacerbations: a European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society guideline. Eur Respir. J. 2017; 50:1602265.

Wedzicha JA, Miravitlles M, Hurst JR, et al. Management of COPD exacerbations: a European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society guideline. Eur Respir J. 2017; 49:1600791.

The guidelines were a cooperative effort among the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society.

Supplemental Implementation Resources

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Document Objectives: This document provides clinical recommendations for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations.

Scope: Management, Prevention, Treatment

Diseases/Conditions (MeSH)

D029424 - Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

D029424 - Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Keywords: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exacerbation

Target Patient Population: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Target Provider Population: General internists, primary care physicians, emergency medicine clinicians, other healthcare professionals

Inclusion Criteria: Male, Female, Adult, Older Adult

Health Care Settings: Ambulatory, Hospital

Intended Users: Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Physician Assistant

Recommendation Development Processes & Methodology

PICO Questions

Should oral corticosteroids be used to treat ambulatory patients who are having a COPD exacerbation?
Should antibiotics be used to treat ambulatory patients who are having a COPD exacerbation?
Should intravenous or oral corticosteroids be used to treat patients who are hospitalised with a COPD exacerbation?
Should NIV be used in patients who are hospitalised with a COPD exacerbation associated with acute or acute-on-chronic respiratory failure?
Should a home-based management programme (hospital-at-home) be implemented in patients with COPD exacerbations?
Should pulmonary rehabilitation be implemented in patients hospitalised with a COPD exacerbation?

Number of Source Documents: 89

Literature Search Start Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2003

Literature Search End Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Includes peer/external review process?: Yes

Includes public comment process?: No

Methodologist involvement?: Yes

Patient involvement?: No

Includes multi-disciplinary group?: Yes

Includes systematic review?: Yes

Grades quality of strength of evidence?: Yes

Grades quality of strength of recommendation?: Yes

Discloses funding source?: Yes

Discloses conflicts of interest?: Yes

Includes benefits/harms analysis with recommendations?: Yes

Identifies study selection process?: Yes

Identifies study selection criteria?: Yes

Identifies methods used to evaluate and analyze the evidence?: Yes

Identifies key questions addressed by the systematic review?: Yes

Identifies search strategy?: Yes