EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER
YES. Antibiotic use reduced mortality and treatment failure in patients hospitalized with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials [RCTs]).
Giving antibiotics early to hospitalized patients decreased the need for later ventilation and readmission within 30 days for exacerbation of COPD (SOR: B, a retrospective cohort study)