Abstract
Sputum induction can be used as a non-invasive technique to investigate airway inflammation in asthma and COPD. We reported the case of a 68 year old man with COPD, stage III GOLD, that underwent sputum induction during two exacerbation episodes. The first cell count showed a typical sputum neutrophilia, whereas the second showedsputum eosinophilia. On the basis of sputum cellularity, we decided to treat the first episode with a course of antibiotics and the second exacerbation with a course of antibiotics and oral steroids. The patient showed improvement in both cases, obtaining clinical stabilisation. The induced sputum cell count could be a useful technique in a clinical setting to evaluate the cellular characteristics of airway inflammation during COPD exacerbation and modulate the antinflammatory therapy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 23-25 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease - Cardiac Series |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2012 |
Keywords
- Airway inflammation
- COPD
- Induced sputum
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine