Figure 1

Mean symptom scores (with SEM) from diary for shortness of breath (shbr), (scale 0–4), sputum (scale 0–3), cough (scale 0–3) and night-time sleep disturbance (scale 0–4) according to day number before and after the onset (day 0) of the first exacerbation. Evaluated patients had to contribute at least 50% of properly scored diary days in the 4 weeks period before the onset. The same applied to the 8 weeks period after the onset. In addition no new exacerbations had to occur within the latter 8 weeks period, leaving n=137 patients for analysis for all curves. Recovery from an exacerbation is slowest with shortness of breath, followed by nocturnal respiratory symptoms, sputum, and cough.