Expert review of respiratory medicine
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Expert Rev Respir Med · Feb 2015
Review Meta AnalysisAge-of-asthma onset as a determinant of different asthma phenotypes in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.
Age-of-asthma onset is often used to distinguish different adult asthma phenotypes; however, similarities and differences between early- and late-onset adult asthma have not been summarized to date. Of the 2921 records found, we identified 12 studies comparing early- and late-onset current asthma in adults. Age 12 was most commonly used to delineate the two age-of-onset phenotypes. ⋯ Overall, there appears to be distinctive phenotypic differences with age of asthma onset. Although early-onset adult asthma is likely more attributable to atopy and potentially genetic factors, late-onset adult asthma appears to be more related to environmental risk factors, and so may be better targeted by preventive strategies. More detailed research is required to better characterize these phenotypes and to clarify potential clinical implications.
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Expert Rev Respir Med · Feb 2015
ReviewEndobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in lung cancer diagnosis and staging.
Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in the world. A complete diagnosis of lung cancer involves tissue acquisition for pathological subtype, molecular diagnosis and accurate staging of the disease to guide appropriate therapy. Real-time endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is minimally invasive and relatively safe procedure, which can be done on an outpatient basis under moderate sedation. ⋯ EBUS-TBNA stands out in comparison with other modalities for tissue acquisition in lung cancer. EBUS-TBNA performed with the patient under moderate sedation yields sufficient tissue for sequential molecular analysis in most patients. In this review, we describe the role of EBUS-TBNA in various aspects of diagnosis and staging of lung cancer in the present era along with its future aspects.
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Expert Rev Respir Med · Feb 2015
Review Case ReportsInvasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with influenza infection: report of two cases and systematic review of the literature.
Superinfection or coinfections are major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with influenza. There are limited data on invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in this setting. We conducted a systematic review of the literature for patients with IPA following influenza infection. ⋯ On multivariate analysis, H1N1 infection was associated with better outcome (odds ratio [OR]: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.05-0.67; p = 0.010), whereas corticosteroid therapy during hospitalization was associated with worse outcome (OR: 13.5; 95% CI: 3.65-49.67; p < 0.0001). In conclusion, IPA is an emerging serious infection in patients with influenza. A high index of suspicion is necessary for the timely identification and treatment of these patients.
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Expert Rev Respir Med · Feb 2015
ReviewCurrent challenges in the recognition, prevention and treatment of perioperative pulmonary atelectasis.
Innovations in surgery have significantly increased the number of procedures performed every year. While more individuals benefit from better surgical techniques and technology, a larger group of patients previously deemed ineligible for surgery now undergo high-complexity surgical procedures. Despite continuous improvements in the operating room and post-operative care, post-operative pulmonary complications (PPCs) continue to pose a serious threat to successful outcomes. ⋯ Effective interventions will almost certainly produce cost savings that significantly offset current economic and human resource expenditures. The purpose of this review is to describe the most common challenges encountered in the recognition, prevention and management of perioperative atelectasis. Expanding awareness and understanding of the role of atelectasis as a cause of PPCs can reduce their prevalence, impact important clinical outcomes and reduce the financial burden associated with treating these complications.
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Expert Rev Respir Med · Feb 2015
ReviewFluticasone furoate and vilanterol inhalation powder for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/VI) is a novel inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β₂-agonist (ICS/LABA) fixed dose combination that, by simplifying the dosing schedule, allows, for the first time in a member of the ICS/LABA class, a shift from twice-daily to once-daily treatment. FF/VI is delivered via a novel, single-step activation, multi-dose dry powder inhaler for oral inhalation, Ellipta. Regrettably, there are no head-to-head trials that have shown superiority in the safety or efficacy of FF versus other ICSs, but evidence shows that VI has a quicker onset of effect versus salmeterol. ⋯ Furthermore, benefits of FF/VI over twice-daily ICS/LABA comparator have not been shown yet and, in addition, its adverse event profile is generally consistent with the known class effects of an ICS/LABA fixed dose combination. In particular, there is an increase in the risk of pneumonia among patients treated with FF/VI relative to VI, mainly among those who benefit most from FF/VI. Nevertheless, the interesting pharmacological profiles of both FF and VI, the possibility that FF/VI can be administered once-daily, and the attractive characteristics of Ellipta are important features that could help FF/VI to be a successful combination in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.