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.
American Thoracic Society
‘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.
New stove dramatically improves lung health in Mexican women
Women in Central Mexico who used a vented stove instead of the traditional indoor open fire, experienced improved respiratory health on par with a pack-a-day smoker kicking the habit, according to a recent study.
New test quickly ID’s active TB in smear-negative patients
Active tuberculosis can be rapidly identified in patients with negative sputum tests by a new method, according to European researchers.
‘Hygiene hypothesis’ challenged
New research hints that the common belief that kids who go to daycare have lower rates of asthma and allergy later in life might be nothing more than wishful thinking.
New vaccine shows promise for COPD patients at risk for pneumonia
A new vaccine against pneumonia may offer better protection from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients than the currently accepted vaccine, according to recent research that will be published in the September 15 issue of the American Journal of the Respiratory and Critical Care Journal, a publication of the American Thoracic Society.
Smoking increases risk of developing active TB
Smoking is a risk factor for active tuberculosis (TB) disease, according to a new study on TB incidence in Taiwan.
The research analyzed data from nearly 17,000 individuals in Taiwan as part of Taiwan’s 2001 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
Still holding their breath: Mortality on lung transplant wait list remains high for some
Mortality remains high among patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension awaiting lung transplant, despite changes to the allocation system that were designed to reduce mortality and increase the equitable distribution of donor organs, according to new research out of University of California San Francisco.