Lung
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Interest in using the nitrogen single-breath washout (N2SBW) test to measure ventilation inhomogeneity and small airway function in COPD patients has grown in recent years. Our aim was to assess the correlation of the measures obtained by the N2SBW test and other pulmonary function parameters with the six-minute walk distance (6MWD), the degree of dyspnea score, and health status in COPD patients. ⋯ In patients with COPD, our findings suggest that the ventilation inhomogeneity impacts the functional exercise capacity, the degree of dyspnea, and health status.
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Lung cancer is the most common and lethal malignancy in the world. The landmark National lung screening trial (NLST) showed a 20% relative reduction in mortality in high-risk individuals with screening low-dose computed tomography. However, the poor specificity and low prevalence of lung cancer in the NLST provide major limitations to its widespread use. ⋯ Autofluorescence bronchoscopy has been employed in research setting to identify pre-invasive lesions not identified on CT scan. Although these modalities are not yet commercially available in clinic setting, they will be available in the near future and clinicians who care for patients with lung cancer should be aware. In this review, we present up-to-date state of biomarker development, discuss their clinical relevance and predict their future role in lung cancer management.
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Lung auscultation has long been a standard of care for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases. Recent advances in electronic auscultation and signal processing have yet to find clinical acceptance; however, computerized lung sound analysis may be ideal for pediatric populations in settings, where skilled healthcare providers are commonly unavailable. We described features of normal lung sounds in young children using a novel signal processing approach to lay a foundation for identifying pathologic respiratory sounds. ⋯ Lung sound extracted features varied significantly with child characteristics and lung site. A comparison with adult studies revealed differences in the extracted features for children. While sound-reduction techniques will improve analysis, we offer a novel, reproducible tool for sound analysis in real-world environments.
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Lung cancer remains a major disease burden in Victoria (Australia) and requires a complex and multidisciplinary approach to ensure optimal care and outcomes. To date, no uniform mechanism is available to capture standardized population-based outcomes and thereby provide benchmarking. The establishment of such a data platform is, therefore, a primary requisite to enable description of process and outcome in lung cancer care and to drive improvement in the quality of care provided to individuals with lung cancer. ⋯ The Victorian Lung Cancer Registry provides a unique capacity to provide and confirm quality assessment in lung cancer and to drive improvement in quality of care across multidisciplinary stakeholders.