• share
• favorite_border

African-American children are more likely to report previous emergency room visits, hospitalizations and need for intensive care unit (ICU) management for asthma than Caucasian children on their first visit to an asthma specialist, according to a study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The study also indicated that African-American children have poorer lung function at their initial visit to an asthma specialist than their Caucasian counterparts.

• share
• favorite_border

ATS 2011, DENVER – The antibiotic linezolid may be more effective than vancomycin in treating ventilated patients who develop methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia as a result of their ventilation, according to a study conducted globally by American and French researchers.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center attempting to identify the vital signs that best predict those hospitalized patients at greatest risk for cardiac arrest found that a composite index used in some hospitals to activate a rapid response team and by emergency room physicians to assess the likelihood of a patient dying was a better predictor of cardiac arrest than any single vital sign.

• share
• favorite_border

Surrogate decision-makers faced with the difficult task of overseeing loved ones’ medical care may find help thanks to a new decision aid aimed at patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation. According to a study conducted by researchers in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington who developed and tested the aid, surrogates reported the aid significantly improved the often daunting decision-making process.

• share
• favorite_border

Inhaling small amounts of hydrogen in addition to concentrated oxygen may help stem the damage to lung tissue that can occur when critically ill patients are given oxygen for long periods of time, according to a rat model study conducted by researchers in Pittsburgh. The study also found hydrogen initiates activation of heme-oxygenase (HO-1), an enzyme that protects lung cells.

• share
• favorite_border

Removing enlarged tonsils and adenoids may help prevent high blood pressure and heart damage in children who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a study conducted at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. In some children with OSA, adenotonsillectomy can result in significantly lower blood pressure within 24 months of the procedure.

• share
• favorite_border

Telemonitoring may offer promise for patients in remote locations without access to specially trained intensive care physicians. However, a recent study indicates telemonitoring does not offer improved clinical outcomes compared to patients who receive standard care.

• share
• favorite_border

A new program developed by researchers at Pennsylvania State College of Medicine and Pennsylvania State University may make it easier for patients with moderate/severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to make critical decisions regarding their care as their disease worsens. The computer-based decision aid (CDA) is designed to educate patients about planning for end-of-life decisions without diminishing hope, according to the researchers.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of a novel treatment that stimulates the nerve that controls the diaphragm to normalize the breathing of patients who suffer from both heart failure and central sleep apnea.

• share
• favorite_border

Although so-called clot-busting drugs are commonly used in the treatment of some patients with blood clots in the lungs, a new study conducted by researchers in Spain and the U.S. indicates the agents do not appear to be any more effective than traditional blood thinners for the majority of these patients. Clot-busters, or thrombolytic agents, also appear to increase the risk of death in patients with normal blood pressure.

• share
• favorite_border

Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have poor lung function early in life are more likely also to have poor lung function in adolescence, regardless of whether they are exposed to a common infection caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa in early childhood. Earlier studies had indicated infection with the bacteria early in life was strongly associated with poor lung function later on.

• share
• favorite_border

Clinicians consistently fall short in discussing end-of-life care with patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), according to a study completed by researchers in Washington. The study focused on the communication skills of staff physicians, physician trainees and advanced practice nurses.

• share
• favorite_border

Sleep problems among urban minority children, including resistance to going to bed, shortened sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness are much more common than previously thought, according to a study conducted by researchers in New York.

• share
• favorite_border

Vitamin D supplements may help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) get more from their pulmonary rehabilitation programs, according to a study conducted by researchers from Belgium.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers have linked a variant in the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) with the onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Caucasian men. The study population consisted of participants in the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study, a multidisciplinary study of aging that began in 1963.

• share
• favorite_border

The six-minute walking distance test (6MWD), a test that measures a patient’s ability to tolerate exercise and physical activity, is an effective tool for understanding disease severity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a three-year global study of patients with COPD sponsored by drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline.

• share
• favorite_border

Changes in the ability of lung cells to divide may play a role in initiating or prolonging lung tissue inflammation, a hallmark of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study conducted by researchers in France.

• share
• favorite_border

A simple, minimally-invasive technique using cells from the interior of the nose could help clinicians detect lung cancer in its earliest – and most treatable – stages, according to a study conducted by researchers in Boston.

• share
• favorite_border

Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, can increase alertness and even improve quality of life for sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), even if their symptoms are minimal, according to a study conducted by researchers in Europe. Patients enrolled in the study reported an improvement in daytime sleepiness within six months of beginning CPAP treatment.

• share
• favorite_border

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) effectively decreases the risk of cardiovascular death in elderly patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a study conducted by researchers in Spain. The study is the first large-scale study to assess the impact of OSA and the effectiveness of CPAP treatment in cardiovascular mortality in the elderly.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers in Baltimore have identified new compounds which relax airway muscles and may provide relief from shortness of breath for patients with COPD and asthma. The bitter-tasting compounds are at least as, if not more, effective than currently available agents used to manage these diseases, and may present new options for treatment.

• share
• favorite_border

Hospital patients with pneumonia may be at risk of experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, often with few or no warning signs, according to research from the University of Chicago Medical Center under the auspices of the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines project.

• share
• favorite_border

New research on mice has shown that pulmonary administration of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) significantly reduces flu symptoms and prevents death after a lethal dose influenza virus. While GM-SCF therapy for humans as a flu prophylaxis or treatment may be years away, the study results were striking: All of the mice treated with GM-SCF survived after being infected with the influenza virus, whereas untreated mice all died from the same infection.

• share
• favorite_border

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are hospitalized for pneumonia and treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have decreased mortality when compared to those who are not treated with ICS, according to a retrospective analysis of almost 16,000 COPD patients admitted to VA hospitals.

• share
• favorite_border

Patients who receive intensive care services are very different in the United States than in the United Kingdom, according to a new study that compared admission and mortality statistics from ICUs in each country. The study found that U.K. patients are much sicker upon ICU admission, whereas U.S. patients are more likely to require continuing care after discharge and are often sent to skilled care facilities instead of home.

• share
• favorite_border

A new study has demonstrated no significant benefit of taking the drug bosentan for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

• share
• favorite_border

March 24, 2011, marks World TB Day. On this day around the world, the public health and scientific community will raise public awareness about tuberculosis and the challenges that remain in controlling it globally, such as preventing the spread of drug resistant TB and as the urgent need to develop new TB diagnostic, treatment and prevention tools.

• share
• favorite_border

Changes that occur in the airways of asthma patients are in part caused by the naturally occurring protein interleukin-13 (IL-13) which stimulates invasion of airway cells called fibroblasts, according to a study conducted by researchers at Duke University. The study is the latest effort by researchers to better understand the processes that are involved in airway remodeling that can cause breathing difficulties in patients with asthma.

• share
• favorite_border

The American Thoracic Society has released new official clinical guidelines on the diagnosis and management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The statement replaces ATS guidelines published in 2000, and reviews current knowledge in the epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis and management of IPF, as well as available treatment options, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies and palliative care.

• share
• favorite_border

American Thoracic Society President, Dean Schraufnagel, M.D.'s statement in support of the EPA’s Power Plant Air Toxics Rule.

• share
• favorite_border

Four novel biomarkers have been identified which may aid in the diagnosis and management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study conducted by researchers in Australia, who determined the biomarkers may be used in different combinations to successfully identify patients with either of the airway diseases. In conducting the study, the researchers relied on proteomics, an emerging field of science that focuses on the structure and functions of an organism’s proteins.

• share
• favorite_border

Monitoring blood for tiny particles released by cells lining the lungs may help clinicians diagnose emphysema in its earliest stages, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College. The particles, called endothelial microparticles (EMPs), are shed during the disease process as tiny blood vessels in the lungs, called pulmonary capillaries, are injured and die.

• share
• favorite_border

American Thoracic Society President Dean E. Schraufnagel, MD, expressed his opposition to legislation introduced today by Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) and Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) to prohibit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from issuing rules on carbon pollution and other greenhouse gases.

• share
• favorite_border

The American Thoracic Society has released a new official report recommending research priorities in incorporating ambulatory management of adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) into healthcare systems. The report identifies barriers preventing incorporation of portable monitor testing into clinical management pathways and recommends research and development needed to address those barriers.

• share
• favorite_border

The American Thoracic Society has released a new report detailing recent global changes in the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated pulmonary disease. The report examines the evolving landscape of HIV and its associated diseases in areas where combination antiretroviral therapies (ART) are available, as well as offering insight into the trends occurring in areas of the world where ART use is limited.

• share
• favorite_border

Acute viral infection does not appear to be a primary cause of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive, deadly disease resulting in thickening and scarring of the lungs, according to a study conducted by researchers from the U.S., Korea and Japan. Previous studies had suggested viral infection might cause exacerbation of IPF in a majority of patients who have the condition, which occurs most often in people between 50 and 70 years of age.

• share
• favorite_border

Use of the blood clot-inhibiting medication tifacogin does not appear to improve outcomes of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP), according to a study conducted by researchers from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The drug had shown some potential benefit in the sCAP subgroup of an earlier trial involving sepsis patients.

• share
• favorite_border

Cigarette smoking has been linked with overproduction of mucus associated with chronic bronchitis, according to a study conducted by researchers in New Mexico. The study indicates cigarette smoke suppresses a protein that causes the natural death of mucus-producing cells in the airways of bronchitis patients.

• share
• favorite_border

Resistance to leptin, a protein that plays a key role in regulating metabolism and appetite, may help prevent the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute lung injury (ALI) in individuals with type II diabetes, according to a study conducted by researchers in Chicago. The study indicates leptin resistance, a common characteristic of diabetes, may help prevent the formation of inflexible, fibrous tissue that develops in ALI and ARDS.

• share
• favorite_border

American Thoracic Society President Dean E. Schraufnagel, MD, today expressed “grave concerns” with legislation released by House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) to make changes to the Clean Air Act.

• share
• favorite_border

Previously linked to the severity of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in humans, vitamin D deficiency has now been shown to alter lung structure and function in young mice. The new study, conducted by researchers in Australia, offers the first concrete evidence linking vitamin D deficiency with deficits in lung function and altered lung structure.

• share
• favorite_border

Using inexpensive air filters may help reduce cardiovascular disease risk that results from exposure to air pollution, according to researchers from Canada, who studied healthy adultsliving in a small community in British Columbia where wood burning stoves are the main sources of pollution. The researchers found that high efficiency particle air (HEPA)filters reduced the amount of airborne particulate matter, resulting in improved blood vessel health and reductions in blood markers that are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

• share
• favorite_border

Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are on long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) have more to worry about than breathing difficulties. According to a new study by researchers in Sweden, COPD patients on LTOT today face an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other non-respiratory ailments. The study’s results suggest physicians need to carefully monitor for these conditions and treat them to help decrease the risk of mortality in these patients.

• share
• favorite_border

Identifying tuberculosis patients in Africa using passive methods is leaving many cases undiagnosed, according to researchers from the Netherlands, Kenya and the United States, who studied case detection methods in HIV-prone western Kenya. Tuberculosis (TB) occurs commonly in men and women with HIV, but in these patients TB can be more difficult to detect.

• share
• favorite_border

The American Thoracic Society has released a new official clinical policy statement on the treatment of fungal infections in adult pulmonary and critical care patients. The statement replaces ATS guidelines published in 1988, and takes into account new medications and treatment approaches, as well as provides an overview of emerging fungi.

• share
• favorite_border

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with normal to mildly impaired lung function may benefit from a new investigational drug designed to help prevent formation of the sticky mucus that is a hallmark of the disease, according to researchers involved in a phase 3 clinical trial of the drug. Called denufosol, the investigational medication can be given early in the CF disease process, and may help delay the progression of lung disease in these patients, the researchers found.

• share
• favorite_border

The president of the American Thoracic Society today criticized the Environmental Protection Agency for seeking a six-month delay in issuing a final rule for ozone pollution.

• share
• favorite_border

Patients aged 65 and older who survive an episode of mechanical ventilation during a hospitalization are more likely to suffer from long-term disabilities after leaving the hospital than those who survive hospitalization without mechanical ventilation, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. These results were borne out even though the levels of functional disability prior to hospitalization were similar in both groups.

• share
• favorite_border

A school-based intervention program designed for adolescents with asthma significantly improves asthma management and quality of life for the students who participate, and reduces asthma morbidity, according to researchers in New York City, who studied the effect of the program aimed at urban youth and their medical providers. The Asthma Self-Management for Adolescents (ASMA) program is an eight-week intervention geared toward helping adolescents learn more effective ways of managing their symptoms and controlling their asthma.

• share
• favorite_border

The US Department of Health and Human Services and the Critical Care Societies Collaborative have established a new national awards program. The National Awards Program to Recognize Achievements in Eliminating Healthcare-Associated Infections will annually recognize teams of critical care professionals and healthcare institutions that achieve excellence and notable, sustained improvements in preventing healthcare-associated infections, specifically infections in critical care.