Annual Congress Berlin 2008

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PG1 - EU GRACE network full-day course: Antibiotics or not: from acute bronchitis to acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis

Postgraduate Course
Chairs: R. Cosentini (Milan, Italy), C. Butler (Cardiff, United Kingdom)
Aims: To update the participants on the role of infections in COPD and to discuss the dilemma of appropriate antibiotic use. All sessions will be interactive, and will include clinical case presentations. The involvement of microorganisms in the pathogenesis of COPD in terms of possible promotion or modulation of the disease will be addressed. The role of emerging as well as established drivers of infection in the pathophysiology and its implications for diagnosis and management in the context of adult lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and COPD will be discussed.

Debate: Bacteria are a cause of acute bronchitis - PRO R. Cosentini (Milan, Italy)
Debate: Bacteria are a cause of acute bronchitis - CON R. Wilson (London, United Kingdom)
The EU GRACE project: first data on LRTIs from the European GPs Network C. Butler (Cardiff, United Kingdom)
Debate: Antibiotic treatment is contraindicated in acute bronchitis - PRO T. Verheij (Utrecht, Netherlands)
Debate: Antibiotic treatment is contraindicated in acute bronchitis - CON M. Woodhead (Manchester, United Kingdom)
The pathogenesis of acute infection in COPD A. Anzueto (San Antonio, Tx, United States of America)
Laboratory investigations of infection in COPD: current best practice and future possibilities A. Papi (Ferrara, Italy)
Clinical management of COPD: recommended practice including the place of antibiotics F. Blasi (Milan, Italy)
COPD guidelines in relation to infections: a critical analysis A. Torres (Barcelona, Spain)