Pulmonary pharmacology & therapeutics
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Pulm Pharmacol Ther · Jun 2017
ReviewThe earlier, the better: Impact of early diagnosis on clinical outcome in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complex disease with a highly variable clinical course and generally poor prognosis. Classified as a rare disease, significant increases in incidence have been recorded worldwide in recent years. Left untreated IPF is extremely debilitating with substantial personal, social and economic implications. ⋯ The importance of early and accurate diagnosis of IPF cannot be underestimated and it is the duty of all healthcare professionals to be vigilant to the symptoms of IPF and to involve a multidisciplinary team in diagnosing and managing IPF early in the course of disease.
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Pulm Pharmacol Ther · Apr 2017
Meta AnalysisReslizumab in patients with inadequately controlled late-onset asthma and elevated blood eosinophils.
Asthma with adult onset and elevated blood eosinophils is a difficult-to-treat subgroup. This post hoc analysis evaluated reslizumab, an anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody, in patients with late-onset eosinophilic asthma. ⋯ Compared with placebo, reslizumab produced larger reductions in asthma exacerbations and larger improvements in lung function in patients with late versus early-onset asthma.
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Pulm Pharmacol Ther · Apr 2017
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyMastery of pMDI technique, asthma control and quality-of-life of children with asthma: A randomized controlled study comparing two inhaler technique training approaches.
Verbal counselling (VC) is the clinical standard for training patients on correct inhaler use. Patients fail to recall their VC with time. Ethical approval was obtained to compare the pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) VC with Trainhaler (TH), a novel pMDI inhalation flow and technique training device, in children with asthma. ⋯ The TH improved the inhalation flow through the pMDI close to the ideal needed for adequate lung deposition. Both methods equally enhanced the children's mastery of pMDI use. This was reflected on better AC and QoL. Accessibility to TH might help maintaining the good inhaler use and decreasing regular VC.
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Pulm Pharmacol Ther · Feb 2017
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyAcute cardiovascular safety of two formulations of beclometasone dipropionate/formoterol fumarate in COPD patients: A single-dose, randomised, placebo-controlled crossover study.
An extrafine combination of beclometasone dipropionate (BDP) and formoterol fumarate (FF) via a pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) has been commercially available for some years for the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulation of extrafine BDP/FF is now also available. This study evaluated the cardiovascular safety of BDP/FF DPI in comparison to BDP/FF pMDI and placebo. ⋯ Overall, this study provides reassurance over the cardiovascular safety of extrafine BDP/FF, both in a DPI and a pMDI formulation.
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Pulm Pharmacol Ther · Dec 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAssessment of the efficacy and safety of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol delivered as a combination dry powder via a capsule-based inhaler and a multi-dose inhaler in patients with asthma.
In developing countries, there is a need for access to affordable inhaled respiratory medicines. This study tested the clinical non-inferiority of fluticasone propionate/salmeterol combination (FSC) 50/250 μg Rotacaps®/Rotahaler® compared with FSC 50/250 μg Diskus®. ⋯ This study demonstrated the clinical non-inferiority of FSC 50/250 μg when administered using Rotacaps/Rotahaler compared with administration using Diskus in patients with asthma, and suggests there is no difference in the risk:benefit profile between the two FSC inhalers.