Respiratory

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A recent study discovered more about the immunological mechanisms correlated with lung inflammation in some severe asthma patients, raising possibilities it may serve as a baseline for future research and drug development.

The FDA cleared the first generic version of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr, an epinephrine auto-injector for severe allergic reactions, 2 years after generic drugmaker Teva Pharmaceuticals was first turned down in its bid to win approval for the device. The Teva device is the first-ever generic to the one marketed by Mylan, which is still in short supply during the busy back-to-school season in pharmacies due to production issues at Pfizer, which makes the device.

The global age-standardized lung cancer mortality rate among women is expected to increase by 43% from 2015 to 2030, while the global age-standardized breast cancer mortality rate is projected to decrease by 9%, according to an analysis published in Cancer Research.

A phase IV noninferiority trial evaluating the difference between video-based and face-to-face inhaler education for patients with asthma did not find a difference in the endpoints that were analyzed. The results were published in PLoS One.

A recent study found that markers of platelet activity are increased in plasma of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and these are then normalized with antimycobacterial treatment. The researchers said their findings could have implications for new types of drug therapies.

Special nutrition bars seem to have a beneficial effect on lung function in patients with noneosinophilic, low-inflammation asthma and obesity, according to a new study.

Both asthma and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), both chronic conditions, have been associated with each other in previous studies, but questions remained as to the strength of the association because of other possible confounders. A new review of published data, followed by a population-based study, says the association remains after controlling for possible confounders.

Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly called black lung, is making a return, especially in central Appalachia, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

A new research study, published in JAMA Cardiology, aimed to further confirm a previous correlation between asthma and atrial fibrillation (AF) and to determine if the degree of asthma control affected the risk of developing AF.

New tools from the American College of Chest Physicians' CHEST Foundation, the Allergy & Asthma Network, and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology can help clinicians and patients to work together to choose the best treatment and increase adherence.

Nearly half of patients visiting urgent care centers who were diagnosed with an acute respiratory condition, for which antibiotics are neither recommended nor effective, walked away with an antibiotic prescription anyway.

Do e-cigarettes help current smokers quit, or do they just become an additional nicotine habit? A new study of more than 30,000 adults in Sweden indicates that traditional smokers use both methods.

Current screening criteria for lung cancer risk assessments often miss a large proportion of cases. Research suggests that a panel of circulating protein biomarkers may improve lung cancer risk assessment and may be used to define eligibility for computed tomography screening.

Consumption of fast foods—especially hamburgers—3 or more times per week was more likely to be associated with severe asthma when compared with the consumption of fast foods only 1 to 2 times per week.

Although acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are often caused by viruses for which antibiotics are not effective, antibiotics remain commonly prescribed for ARIs.

A pair of articles paint a devastating picture of the effects of climate change on human health. One paper cited increased air pollution spurred by air conditioning and another paper said that the decreased nutritional quality of staple crops will increase diseases like anemia and diarrhea.

Smoking and tuberculosis (TB) have always had a strong epidemiological association.

Children who live in neighborhoods with low walkability may be more likely to develop asthma that will continue through later childhood.

Asthma is a common disease that affects people of all ages; however, it is underdiagnosed. Researchers have recently identified a genetic biomarker of asthma that can be tested for using a nasal brush and basic follow-up data analysis.

Smoke-free policies not only protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure, but they also reduce the social acceptability of smoking, help prevent youth and young adult smoking initiation, and increase smokers’ efforts to quit smoking. A recent report from the CDC assessed the importance and efficacy of smoke-free and tobacco-free policies among colleges and universities.