Safety and Tolerability of Nebulized Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid in Patients with COPD.

1. A clinical diagnosis of stable COPD, as defined by GOLD criteria;

2. Able to produce sputum;

3. Age 40 years or over;

4. Current or former smoker.

1. Exacerbation or use of prednisolone or antibiotics 4 weeks related to an exacerbation prior to enrolment;

2. Current pneumonia, defined as an acute respiratory tract illness associated with radiographic shadowing on a chest radiograph which was neither pre-existing nor of any other cause;

3. Allergy for penicillin, amoxicillin or clavulanic acid;

4. Respiratory insufficiency and hypercapnia measured by arterial blood gas analyses;

5. FEV1 postbronchodilator < 1.2 l.