Antibiotic prescribing in primary care practice for patients with COPD exacerbations is generally based on clinical features only, which are subjective and suboptimal for identifying patients who will benefit from antibiotic treatment.

However, a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that using a point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) test to guide treatment for COPD exacerbations in primary care lessened the use of antibiotics without worsening outcomes for patients.