[Expert consensus of Chinese and Western medicine treatment on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China (2021)].

Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is defined as an acute worsening of respiratory symptoms including worsening dyspnea and cough, increased sputum volume, and/or purulent sputum, resulting in additional treatments. AECOPD has become a major cause of hospitalization and death in COPD patients, leading to a large economic and social burden. In order to prevent and standardize the early treatment of AECOPD, the National Health Commission organized many domestic experts to write the Chinese expert consensus on the prevention and the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine of treatment for AECOPD to provide reference for clinicians.