Respiratory

A study that examined mortality among immunocompromised patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure found that high-flow oxygen therapy did not significantly decrease 28-day mortality compared with standard oxygen therapy.

November 2nd 2018

5 Updates on Lung Cancer Mortality, Risk, and Treatment

Jaime Rosenberg

November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which seeks to put a spotlight on the leading cause of cancer death. Here are 5 things to know about the disease.

November 2nd 2018

Flavorants and Propylene Glycol From e-Cigarettes Form Harmful Irritants When Combined

The mixture of flavorants and propylene glycol (PG) in electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) leads to the formation of acetals that have been shown to activate irritation receptors, predisposing users to the same potential dangers as using traditional cigarettes, a new study said.

October 26th 2018

Electronic Cigarettes May Cause Same Lung Injuries, Respiratory Changes as Classic Cigarettes

David Bai, PharmD

Electronic cigarettes can cause detrimental effects to human health and should be reconsidered as a smoking cessation tool, based on results from a recent study.

October 25th 2018

Study Evaluates Healthcare Utilization and Expenditures for Patients With NTM

Patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTMLD) have a significant greater risk of hospitalization and higher total healthcare expenditures than matched control patients without NTMLD.

October 24th 2018

Second Biologic to Make Entry for Moderate-to-Severe Asthma

The FDA’s approval of dupilumab, already approved for severe eczema, for asthma makes it the second biologic for the incurable lung disease.

October 20th 2018

Muscle Relaxants During Anesthesia May Increase Risk of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications

Neuromuscular blocking agents, or muscle relaxants, are often used in surgery to prevent muscles from moving when a patient is unconscious. A recent study found that the use of neuromuscular blockers during general anesthesia is associated with an increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications.

October 17th 2018

Dupilumab Shows Positive Results for Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps

With a decision from the FDA for its use in moderate-to-severe asthma expected by the end of the week, the biologic dupilumab showed positive results from a pivotal phase 3 trial for inadequately controlled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

October 17th 2018

FDA Label Rule Change Gives Prescribers More Detail for Pregnant Women With Asthma

David Bai, PharmD

Treating lung conditions like asthma in pregnant women is a challenge, as it requires knowledge of both the safety of treatments during pregnancy as well as understanding the risks of the disease for both the woman and the infant, noted a review of a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) information system for prescribers.

October 13th 2018

FDA Inquiring If Some e-Cigarette Makers Are Selling Devices Without Approval

The FDA said Friday it is asking 21 e-cigarette companies for more information about whether more than 40 products, including some flavored e-cigarette products, are being illegally marketed and are outside the agency’s current compliance policy. The move comes a month after the agency warned of a teen vaping epidemic and said it would be cracking down on the sale of the devices to kids.

October 11th 2018

FDA Approves Arikayce to Treat Certain Patients With Rare Lung Disease

The first drug specifically to treat patients with Mycobacterium avium complex, a rare and chronic lung disease, has been approved by the FDA. Arikayce is also the first drug to be approved under the Limited Population Pathway for Antibacterial and Antifungal Drugs, established under the 21st Century Cures Act.

October 5th 2018

Tackling Antibiotic Prescribers' Behaviors for Respiratory Infections at the VA

An audit feedback intervention is an approach used to help providers translate evidence into behavior change, and at ID Week, 1 abstract showed that it helped reduce antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Another report showed that antibiotic prescribing rates for ARIs at medical centers operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have steadily declined since 2010. ID Week is an annual conference focused on many different infectious disease topics.

October 5th 2018

Study Finds Gaps in Medicaid Coverage Guidelines for Asthma Care

A study found a lack of consistent and comprehensive coverage throughout the country, identified coverage-related challenges to accessing asthma care within states, and found substantial gaps between guidelines-based asthma care and coverage by state Medicaid programs.

October 3rd 2018

What We're Reading: Demand for Antibiotics; FDA Inspects Juul; Fast Food Consumption

AJMC Staff

Patients who receive an antibiotic prescription report being happiest with their doctor’s visit, whether or not they needed the antibiotic; the FDA has collected more than 1000 pages of documents from Juul’s headquarters as part of a surprise inspection into its sales and marketing practices; on any given day, an average of 36.6% of American adults are eating fast food, and the proportion eating fast food increases with income.

September 28th 2018

Patients Taking Inhaled Steroids May Be at Greater Risk for NTM

Patients who use inhaled steroids to control their asthma or other breathing problems may be at a greater risk for developing nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections.

September 28th 2018

The New Era of Telemedicine Brings Positive Health Outcomes for Patients With Asthma

A recent meta-analysis shows that combined telemedicine involving telecase management or teleconsultation has significant improvements in asthma control and quality of life.

September 25th 2018

Draft ICER Report Finds Some Benefit for 5 Biologics to Treat Severe Asthma

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) found enough evidence that biologics provide a benefit over the usual standard of care for patients with moderate to severe asthma, the organization said in a draft evidence report released Tuesday. However, since biologics cost much more than other pharmaceutical treatments, ICER said the 5 drugs it reviewed did not meet its usual cost-effectiveness thresholds.

September 22nd 2018

Embarrassment Contributes to Poor Asthma Treatment Adherence, Study Finds

Despite there being effective therapies, asthma is commonly poorly controlled. Acknowledging and addressing patient treatment beliefs and perceptual barriers to adherence to asthma medication is necessary for designing adherence interventions for patients.

September 18th 2018

Patients With Asthma–COPD Overlap Have More Severe Disease, Study Finds

Researchers pinpointed the characteristics of asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) causing a greater disease burden than either condition alone.

September 16th 2018

Associations Between Perceptions of Community Safety With Respiratory Illness Among Low-Income Adults

There is an association between an individual’s perceptions of community safety and adverse respiratory health among populations with exposure to high air pollution, according to new research.

September 12th 2018

Study Identifies Benralizumab Responders Among COBRA Participants With Severe Asthma

A retrospective analysis of data from patients with severe asthma who participated in the COBRA trial identified key clinical characteristics that may help clinicians recognize patients who may benefit from additional targeted drug therapy, such as benralizumab.

September 10th 2018

GSK's Nucala Comes Out Ahead in Comparison of Cinqair, Fasenra, Study Says

In an indirect treatment comparison of 3 drugs for severe eosinophilic asthma, GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) mepolizumab, marketed as Nucala, reduced exacerbations by 34% to 45% compared with reslizumab or benralizumab. The results were published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

September 9th 2018

Genetic Profile and Proximity to Roadways Affect Asthma Symptoms, Study Finds

Patients with asthma with certain genotype combinations demonstrate more intense symptoms when combined with a close proximity to roadways, suggesting that traffic-related air pollution exposure may affect the likelihood of asthma diagnosis and exacerbations.

September 7th 2018

Security Check Trays Pose Highest Risk of Spreading Respiratory Viruses in Airports

Laura Joszt, MA

Airports provide multiple sites of risk to contract respiratory viruses, with plastic security screening trays posing the highest potential risk, according to new research published in BMC Infectious Diseases.

September 6th 2018

Intensive Care Unit Usage for Pneumonia Doubles Length of Hospital Stay

A recently released report using data from the National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) verifies existing data on the prevalence of pneumonia in hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits and provides the first-ever data collection on diagnostic testing, length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) stays, and mortality.

August 31st 2018

E-Cigarette Use Prevalent Among Men, People With Comorbidities, Survey Finds

E-cigarette use in the United States is more prevalent in people who are younger, have comorbid conditions, or are former or current conventional cigarette smokers, according to results from a recent Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System national report.

August 30th 2018

Study: Prescribers Unaware of Comorbidity of Nonselective Beta Blockers for Patients With COPD or Asthma

A substantial number of prescribers did not regard nonselective beta blockers as contraindicated, suggesting the need for improvement programs that target the prescribers’ awareness and knowledge.

August 22nd 2018

Health Organizations React to Rollback of Clean Power Plan Rules

Health organizations reacted with dismay at the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to reverse the Clean Power Plan, which set limits on coal-fired power plants, and replace it with one called the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, which gives more authority to states in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A regulatory impact analysis prepared for the rule indicates 1400 excess deaths created per year by the rule.

August 20th 2018

Benralizumab Has No Effect on Influenza Vaccine Antibody Response, Study Finds

Benralizumab, an interleukin-5 (IL-5) antagonist used to treat severe asthma, does not weaken antibody response of influenza vaccinations, according to results of a recent study.

August 17th 2018

Study Probes How Severe Asthma Might Develop Through Allergic Inflammation