Effects of Long Term Antibiotic Therapy on Exacerbation Rate in Stable COPD Patients

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common disease which can place a considerable burden on people who suffer from it. COPD exacerbations (periods when symptoms flare up) are a major cause of hospital admission in the UK. Bacterial infections play an important role in the development of COPD and so one possible treatment for COPD is with antibiotics. However, there is little information available about the use of long term antibiotics in the treatment of this disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate if long term use of the antibiotic Doxycycline can reduce exacerbations and improve the outlook for these patients.