Short- vs Long-Course Antibiotics for Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis

The increasing prevalence of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) is a significant public health problem, costing the United States health care system over $1.9 billion in 2008. While AECB is mainly treated with antibiotics, the ideal duration of antibacterial treatment remains unclear. Antibiotic overprescription, growing prevalence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics worldwide, and difficulties with patient adherence are ongoing issues. The purpose of this literature review is to identify the most effective duration of antibiotic therapy administration (short- vs long-course antibiotic therapy) for patients with AECB, synthesizing the findings for clinical application.