Patients admitted with AECOPD are commonly on maintenance tiotropium and are frequently treated with additional inhaled anticholinergic agents (eg, ipratropium) during hospitalization. However, the scientific evidence justifying IDAT in patients with AECOPD is lacking, and is quite limited even in patients with stable COPD1-3. Two small, randomized double-blind studies compared the impact of tiotropium combined with either ipratropium or placebo in outpatients with stable COPD. Both studies selected FEV1 alone as their primary end-point and found only a marginal benefit with IDAT2,3.
A population-based study of acute urinary retention in persons with COPD aged ≥66 years found a significantly higher odds of acute urinary retention among those on IDAT vs monotherapy or no anticholinergics (odds ratios 1.4 and 2.7, respectively)4.
In short, routine use of IDAT in patients with AECOPD lacks firm evidence in its clinical efficacy and may be associated with acute urinary retention.
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References
- Cole JM, Sheehan AH, Jordan JK. Concomitant use of ipratropium and tiotropium in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ann Pharmacother 2012;46:1717-21.
- Kerstjens HA, Bantje TA, Luursema PB, Sinninghe Damste HE, de Jong JW. Effects of short-acting bronchodilators added to maintenance tiotropium therapy. Chest 2007;132:1493-9.
- Cazzola M, Santus P, D’Adda A, et al. Acute effects of higher than standard doses of salbutamol and ipratropium on tiotropium-induced bronchodilation in patients with stable COPD. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2009; 22:177-82.
- Singh S, Furbergt CD. Inhaled anticholinergic drug therapy and the risk of acute urinary retention in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Arch Intern Med 2011;171:920-2.
Contributed by Josh Ziperstein, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
