Early antibiotic therapy essential for COPD ?

A new study performed throughout the United States shows that COPD patients who are treated with antibiotic therapy in the first two days of admittance to a hospital were more likely to have quicker discharge dates.

This actually makes sense considering a majority of COPD patients have both emphysema (loss of lung tissue) combined with chronic bronchitis. With chronic bronchitis they have a loss of cilia, and the loss of the immune system's ability to bring up phlegm from the lungs.

Due to this, it's easier for colonies of bacteria to grow in COPD lungs. I suppose I had always assumed that antibiotic therapy was the first line of action for COPD patients, yet obviously this is not the case.

While this is just one study, perhaps it's evidence this research will aid COPD doctors better take care of their physicians, and encourage physicians to treat all COPD patients, regardless of x-rays and lab values, prophylactically with antibiotic therapy.