Reduction of Corticosteroid Use in Outpatient Treatment of Exacerbated COPD

Summary

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health issue with no curative treatment. In Switzerland estimated 5-7% of the total population are suffering from this chronic disease. According to current guidelines corticosteroids are part of treatment of acute exacerbations in COPD patients. Several studies suggest that corticosteroids accelerate the recovery of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), decrease duration of hospitalization, reduce treatment failure rate and improve clinical outcome. The additional therapeutic benefit on FEV1-recovery tough seems only to last for three to five days. The investigators recently published a hospital-based study showing that in patients presenting to emergency departments with acute exacerbation of COPD, a short five day treatment with systemic steroids was not inferior to a conventional 14 day treatment with regard to re-exacerbation. Cumulative corticosteroid dose could be reduced in this trial. To the investigators knowledge no data is available about the minimal necessary corticosteroid dose in an outpatient treatment setting so far. Aim The primary aim of this study is to investigate in an outpatient setting, whether a three day treatment with orally administered systemic corticosteroids is non-inferior to a five day treatment in acute exacerbation of COPD and if total glucocorticoid exposure can be reduced by shorter therapy. Hypothesis The investigators postulate, that in an outpatient setting, where generally less severe exacerbations are being treated, a three day treatment duration of systemic corticosteroids should be non-inferior to a five day treatment duration with regard to treatment benefits but decrease cumulative corticosteroid exposure. Design and Setting This study is going to be performed as a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, non-inferiority trial in an outpatient setting. Randomization will be performed as block randomization with a 1:1 allocation. The investigators are going to recruit GPs in northwestern and central Switzerland. Methods The investigators are going to include patients presenting to GP's with acute exacerbation of COPD. When matching the investigators eligibility criteria and written informed consent is given, patients included in the study are receiving systemic corticosteroid treatment (equivalent of 40mg prednisone daily) for either five days (conventional arm) or three days (interventional arm) followed by two days of placebo for the interventional group. Pre-randomized, identically looking, numbered blisters are given to all patients included in the study. Antibiotic treatment (Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid, 625mg 3/d, for ten days) is given to all patients with a CRP ≥50mg/l, COPD and known diagnosis of bronchiectasis, as well as patients presenting with all three of the following symptoms: change of baseline dyspnea, change of sputum quantity and sputum purulence. Further initial treatment and steroid treatment after inclusion is determined and documented by the GP. Patients will undergo follow-up visits at day three and seven by their GP as well as follow-up phone calls executed by the study center at day 30, 90 and 180.

Timeline

Start

2015-03

Primary completion

2024-07-31

Completion

2024-07-31

Publications

• Background Leuppi JD, Miedinger D, Chhajed PN, Buess C, Schafroth S, Bucher HC, Tamm M. Quality of spirometry in primary care for case finding of airway obstruction in smokers. Respiration. 2010;79(6):469-74. doi: 10.1159/000243162. Epub 2009 Sep 26.
• Background Donaldson GC, Seemungal TA, Bhowmik A, Wedzicha JA. Relationship between exacerbation frequency and lung function decline in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax. 2002 Oct;57(10):847-52. doi: 10.1136/thorax.57.10.847.
• Background Makris D, Moschandreas J, Damianaki A, Ntaoukakis E, Siafakas NM, Milic Emili J, Tzanakis N. Exacerbations and lung function decline in COPD: new insights in current and ex-smokers. Respir Med. 2007 Jun;101(6):1305-12. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2006.10.012. Epub 2006 Nov 16.
• Background Barnes PJ. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Engl J Med. 2000 Jul 27;343(4):269-80. doi: 10.1056/NEJM200007273430407. No abstract available.
• Background Sapey E, Stockley RA. COPD exacerbations . 2: aetiology. Thorax. 2006 Mar;61(3):250-8. doi: 10.1136/thx.2005.041822.
• Background Sethi S, Murphy TF. Infection in the pathogenesis and course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Engl J Med. 2008 Nov 27;359(22):2355-65. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra0800353. No abstract available.
• Background Mohan A, Chandra S, Agarwal D, Guleria R, Broor S, Gaur B, Pandey RM. Prevalence of viral infection detected by PCR and RT-PCR in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD: a systematic review. Respirology. 2010 Apr;15(3):536-42. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2010.01722.x.
• Background Leuppi JD, Schuetz P, Bingisser R, Bodmer M, Briel M, Drescher T, Duerring U, Henzen C, Leibbrandt Y, Maier S, Miedinger D, Muller B, Scherr A, Schindler C, Stoeckli R, Viatte S, von Garnier C, Tamm M, Rutishauser J. Short-term vs conventional glucocorticoid therapy in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the REDUCE randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2013 Jun 5;309(21):2223-31. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.5023.
• Background Albert RK, Martin TR, Lewis SW. Controlled clinical trial of methylprednisolone in patients with chronic bronchitis and acute respiratory insufficiency. Ann Intern Med. 1980 Jun;92(6):753-8. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-92-6-753.
• Background Emerman CL, Connors AF, Lukens TW, May ME, Effron D. A randomized controlled trial of methylprednisolone in the emergency treatment of acute exacerbations of COPD. Chest. 1989 Mar;95(3):563-7. doi: 10.1378/chest.95.3.563.
• Background Bullard MJ, Liaw SJ, Tsai YH, Min HP. Early corticosteroid use in acute exacerbations of chronic airflow obstruction. Am J Emerg Med. 1996 Mar;14(2):139-43. doi: 10.1016/S0735-6757(96)90120-5.
• Background Thompson WH, Nielson CP, Carvalho P, Charan NB, Crowley JJ. Controlled trial of oral prednisone in outpatients with acute COPD exacerbation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1996 Aug;154(2 Pt 1):407-12. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.154.2.8756814.
• Background Aaron SD, Vandemheen KL, Hebert P, Dales R, Stiell IG, Ahuja J, Dickinson G, Brison R, Rowe BH, Dreyer J, Yetisir E, Cass D, Wells G. Outpatient oral prednisone after emergency treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Engl J Med. 2003 Jun 26;348(26):2618-25. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa023161.
• Background Niewoehner DE, Erbland ML, Deupree RH, Collins D, Gross NJ, Light RW, Anderson P, Morgan NA. Effect of systemic glucocorticoids on exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Group. N Engl J Med. 1999 Jun 24;340(25):1941-7. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199906243402502.
• Background Davies L, Angus RM, Calverley PM. Oral corticosteroids in patients admitted to hospital with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 1999 Aug 7;354(9177):456-60. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(98)11326-0.
• Background Groenewegen KH, Schols AM, Wouters EF. Mortality and mortality-related factors after hospitalization for acute exacerbation of COPD. Chest. 2003 Aug;124(2):459-67. doi: 10.1378/chest.124.2.459.
• Background Miravitlles M, Mayordomo C, Artes M, Sanchez-Agudo L, Nicolau F, Segu JL. Treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its exacerbations in general practice. EOLO Group. Estudio Observacional de la Limitacion Obstructiva al Flujo aEreo. Respir Med. 1999 Mar;93(3):173-9. doi: 10.1016/s0954-6111(99)90004-5.
• Background Walsh LJ, Lewis SA, Wong CA, Cooper S, Oborne J, Cawte SA, Harrison T, Green DJ, Pringle M, Hubbard R, Tattersfield AE. The impact of oral corticosteroid use on bone mineral density and vertebral fracture. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Sep 1;166(5):691-5. doi: 10.1164/rccm.2110047.
• Background Decramer M, Lacquet LM, Fagard R, Rogiers P. Corticosteroids contribute to muscle weakness in chronic airflow obstruction. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1994 Jul;150(1):11-6. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.150.1.8025735.
• Background Magnussen H, Disse B, Rodriguez-Roisin R, Kirsten A, Watz H, Tetzlaff K, Towse L, Finnigan H, Dahl R, Decramer M, Chanez P, Wouters EF, Calverley PM; WISDOM Investigators. Withdrawal of inhaled glucocorticoids and exacerbations of COPD. N Engl J Med. 2014 Oct 2;371(14):1285-94. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1407154. Epub 2014 Sep 8.
• Background Buist AS, McBurnie MA, Vollmer WM, Gillespie S, Burney P, Mannino DM, Menezes AM, Sullivan SD, Lee TA, Weiss KB, Jensen RL, Marks GB, Gulsvik A, Nizankowska-Mogilnicka E; BOLD Collaborative Research Group. International variation in the prevalence of COPD (the BOLD Study): a population-based prevalence study. Lancet. 2007 Sep 1;370(9589):741-50. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61377-4.
• Background Jochmann A, Scherr A, Jochmann DC, Miedinger D, Torok SS, Chhajed PN, Tamm M, Leuppi JD. Impact of adherence to the GOLD guidelines on symptom prevalence, lung function decline and exacerbation rate in the Swiss COPD cohort. Swiss Med Wkly. 2012 Apr 5;142:w13567. doi: 10.4414/smw.2012.13567. eCollection 2012.
• Background Anthonisen NR, Manfreda J, Warren CP, Hershfield ES, Harding GK, Nelson NA. Antibiotic therapy in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ann Intern Med. 1987 Feb;106(2):196-204. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-106-2-196.
• Background Rodriguez-Roisin R. Toward a consensus definition for COPD exacerbations. Chest. 2000 May;117(5 Suppl 2):398S-401S. doi: 10.1378/chest.117.5_suppl_2.398s.
• Urwyler P, Boesing M, Abig K, Cattaneo M, Dieterle T, Zeller A, Bachler H, Markun S, Senn O, Merlo C, Essig S, Ullmer E, Rutishauser J, Schuurmans MM, Leuppi JD. Reduction of corticosteroid use in outpatient treatment of exacerbated COPD - Study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority study, (The RECUT-trial). Trials. 2019 Dec 16;20(1):727. doi: 10.1186/s13063-019-3856-8.

Drugs

Indications