Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
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Home oxygen therapy is a mainstay of treatment for patients with various cardiopulmonary diseases. In spite of warnings against smoking while using home oxygen, many patients sustain burn injuries. ⋯ This single-center analysis is one of the largest describing burn injuries stemming from smoking while using home oxygen therapy. We identified the morbidity and mortality associated with these injuries. Ongoing education and careful consideration of prescribing home oxygen therapy for known smokers is highly encouraged.
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Little is known about the consequences of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) for physical activity (PA). ⋯ Fatigue and exercise capacity are strong and independent predictors of PA in patients with IPF, which suggests that both measures should be assessed when the consequences of IPF for PA in daily life are studied.
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The minimal invasive investigation of solitary pulmonary nodules becomes increasingly important with the emergence of lung cancer screening. ⋯ This study demonstrates that bronchoscopic transparenchymal access of solitary pulmonary nodules is feasible outside an operation theatre.
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More than 50 years ago, the observation that absence of the α1 band from protein electrophoresis is associated with severe emphysema established the link between α1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and lung damage. From this discovery, the classic paradigm of protease/antiprotease imbalance was derived, linking lung destruction in patients with AATD to the unopposed effect of proteases. ⋯ From this perspective, we will consider recent evidence, based on epidemiological, clinical and immunopathological studies, suggesting that it is time to move on from the original protease/antiprotease paradigm toward a more complex view of the condition, which embraces its immunomodulating functions. Of importance, the potent immunoregulatory, tolerogenic role of AAT may support its therapeutic use in a number of diseases other than AATD, particularly in immune-related disorders.