ATS, ERS issue official standards for the quantitative assessment of lung structure
The ATS and the European Respiratory Society have issued official standards for the quantitative assessment of lung structure.
American Thoracic Society
Possible pharmacological target(s) identified in pediatric OSA
Children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may one day be able to have an injection or use a throat spray instead of getting their tonsils removed to cure their snoring, according to a new study from the University of Chicago, which found that a specific gene product may be responsible for the proliferation of adenotonsillar tissue that can cause pediatric OSA.
New ethical guidance from ACP for patient-physician-caregiver relationship
PHILADELPHIA, January 12, 2010 — The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued a position paper to guide ethical relationships among patients, physicians, and caregivers.
Researchers find new patterns in H1N1 deaths
Brazilian researchers have performed the first-ever autopsy study to examine the precise causes of death in victims of the H1N1 swine flu.
Pollution linked to hospitalizations for pneumonia in older adults
Older adults with long-term exposure to higher levels of pollution are at higher risk for hospitalization for pneumonia, according to researchers in Canada.
“Our study found that among older individuals, long-term exposure to traffic pollution independently increased their risk of hospitalization for pneumonia,” said principal investigator, Mark Loeb, M.D., of McMaster University.
Urine test for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea possible
Researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered a technique that is able to determine whether a child has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or habitual snoring by screening their urine.
Quitting smoking can reverse asthma-inducing changes in lungs
Asthmatic smokers may be able to reverse some of the damage to their lungs that exacerbates asthmatic symptoms just by putting down their cigarettes, according to research out of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
The research is published in the December 15 issue of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Air pollution increases infants’ risk of bronchiolitis
Infants who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution are at increased risk for bronchiolitis, according to a new study.
‘Difficult-to-treat asthma’ may be due to difficult-to-treat patients
Difficult-to-treat asthma often may have more to do with patients who do not take their medication as instructed than ineffective medication, according to researchers in Northern Ireland.
Patients in US 5 times more likely to spend last days in ICU than patients in England
Patients who die in the hospital in the United States are almost five times as likely to have spent part of their last hospital stay in the ICU than patients in England. What’s more, over the age of 85, ICU usage among terminal patients is eight times higher in the U.S.
New clinical guidelines for exacerbations in cystic fibrosis
The American Thoracic Society has released new clinical guidelines for the treatment of exacerbations in cystic fibrosis based on a review of the literature on current clinical practices.
Being overweight super-sizes both risk and consequences of sleep-disordered breathing
Overweight individuals are not just at greater risk of having sleep-disordered-breathing (SDB), they are also likely to suffer greater consequences, according to new research.
Triple therapy halves exacerbations in moderate-to-severe COPD
Patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can benefit from triple therapy that includes a long-acting β-agonist (LABA), an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and an anti-muscarinic agent, according to researchers in Germany.