Escitalopram in Anxiety Associated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Exacerbations

Anxiety and depression are common in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Frequently exacerbation's of breathlessness are associated with panic/fear and indeed this may be the main cause for the for hospital admission. Patients prone to a tendency to experience and communicate somatic distress in response to psychosocial stress and to seek medical help for it are top of the "frequent flyer" league, costing the health care economy dearly. This is a particular problem in Hull with the high levels of smoking and urban deprivation combining to place the city at the bottom of the Department of Health COPD league tables. Our hypothesis is that an effective treatment for anxiety will reduce the number of episodes of hospital admission by reducing the panic/fear element of mild COPD exacerbation's thus allowing the patient time to access the existing community based support services.