CHRONIC or recurrent production of sputum on most days for at least three months a year for more than two years defines the disease called chronic bronchitis.1 Although the existence of states of chronic and recurrent sputum production has been recognized for a long time, adequate description of the pathology and epidemiology of chronic bronchitis has largely taken place over the past 25 years.12345 During this period an extensive clinical literature has appeared detailing the role of infectious agents in the production of both the chronic and the recurrent aspects of chronic bronchitis and the effect of antimicrobial agents in . . .
Funding and Disclosures
Supported in part by contracts (72–2906, 72–2944) with the National Heart and Lung Institute and a research grant (ES 00503) from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Dr. Tager is the recipient of a fellowship from the Medical Foundation of Boston, and Dr. Speizer the recipient of a research career-development award [ES33332] from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences).
Presented in part at the Delaware Academy of Medicine Infectious Disease Symposium, May 2, 1974.
Author Affiliations
From the divisions of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Epidemiology, Channing Laboratory, Boston City Hospital, and the Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School (address reprint requests to Dr. Speizer at the Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Channing Laboratory, Boston City Hospital, 818 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118).
