Impact of bronchiectasis on the frequency and severity of respiratory exacerbations in COPD

Wassim W Labaki, MeiLan K Han Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USAIn a recent issue of the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Kawamatawong et al reported an association between chest CT-detected bronchiectasis and frequent or severe respiratory exacerbations in 72 Thai patients with COPD (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.99; 95% CI 1.31–18.94; p=0.018).1 Frequent exacerbations were defined as two or more events per year, and severe ones as those requiring hospitalization. The results of this study are consistent with those previously reported by Martínez-García et al who found bronchiectasis to be independently asso¬ciated with severe COPD exacerbations in 92 subjects (OR 3.07; 95% CI 1.07–8.77; p=0.037).2View the original paper by Kawamatawong and colleagues