Did you mean: pulmonologists
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Children (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Pulmonologists may be involved in managing pulmonary diseases in children with complex clinical pictures without a diagnosis. Moreover, they are routinely involved in... (Review)
Review
Pulmonologists may be involved in managing pulmonary diseases in children with complex clinical pictures without a diagnosis. Moreover, they are routinely involved in the multidisciplinary care of children with rare diseases, at baseline and during follow-up, for lung function monitoring. Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are a group of genetic diseases characterised by a specific lysosomal enzyme deficiency. Despite varying pathogen and organ involvement, they are linked by the pathological accumulation of exceeding substrates, leading to cellular toxicity and subsequent organ damage. Less severe forms of LSDs can manifest during childhood or later in life, sometimes being underdiagnosed. Respiratory impairment may stem from different pathogenetic mechanisms, depending on substrate storage in bones, with skeletal deformity and restrictive pattern, in bronchi, with obstructive pattern, in lung interstitium, with altered alveolar gas exchange, and in muscles, with hypotonia. This narrative review aims to outline different pulmonary clinical findings and a diagnostic approach based on key elements for differential diagnosis in some treatable LSDs like Gaucher disease, Acid Sphingomyelinase deficiency, Pompe disease and Mucopolysaccharidosis. Alongside their respiratory clinical aspects, which might overlap, we will describe radiological findings, lung functional patterns and associated symptoms to guide pediatric pulmonologists in differential diagnosis. The second part of the paper will address follow-up and management specifics. Recent evidence suggests that new therapeutic strategies play a substantial role in preventing lung involvement in early-treated patients and enhancing lung function and radiological signs in others. Timely diagnosis, driven by clinical suspicion and diagnostic workup, can help in treating LSDs effectively.
PubMed: 38929247
DOI: 10.3390/children11060668 -
Annali Dell'Istituto Superiore Di Sanita 2024The percentage of smokers who develop COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) peaks at 40-50% in most recent publications. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The percentage of smokers who develop COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) peaks at 40-50% in most recent publications.
SUMMARY
Tobacco smoke remains the main cause of COPD, though smoking-related limitation of the flow is rather subjective. For patients who keep on smoking, general practitioners (GPs) and pulmonologists should be able to offer smoking cessation programs as an important part of COPD treatment. This narrative article aims to provide the scientific basis to help healthcare professionals develop this therapy; with this aim in mind, the authors have analyzed the most recent literature.
KEY MESSAGES
Only 3% of smokers who try to quit without availing themselves of any support succeed. Effective smoking cessation methods are counselling and pharmacotherapy, which, combined together, are credited with a 24% success rate. Although there are no therapeutic novelties with strong scientific evidence for smoking cessation, it is however advisable to keep the literature updated to new devices and new digital therapies.
Topics: Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Smoking Cessation; Humans; Counseling; Smoking; Smoking Cessation Agents
PubMed: 38920255
DOI: 10.4415/ANN_24_01_04 -
Archivos de Bronconeumologia Jun 2024
PubMed: 38906715
DOI: 10.1016/j.arbres.2024.06.003 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine May 2024Asthma, a prevalent chronic respiratory condition characterized by inflammation of the airways and bronchoconstriction, has demonstrated a potential association with... (Review)
Review
Asthma, a prevalent chronic respiratory condition characterized by inflammation of the airways and bronchoconstriction, has demonstrated a potential association with hemoglobinopathies such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD). Numerous studies have highlighted a higher prevalence of asthma among thalassemia patients compared to the general population, with rates ranging around 30%. Similarly, asthma frequently coexists with SCD, affecting approximately 20-48% of patients. Children with SCD often experience heightened lower airway obstruction and airway hyper-reactivity. Notably, the presence of asthma in SCD exacerbates respiratory symptoms and increases the risk of severe complications like acute chest syndrome, stroke, vaso-occlusive episodes, and early mortality. Several studies have noted a decrease in various cytokines such as IFN-γ and IL-10, along with higher levels of both IL-6 and IL-8, suggesting an overactivation of pro-inflammatory mechanisms in patients with hemoglobinopathies, which could trigger inflammatory conditions such as asthma. The exact mechanisms driving this association are better elucidated but may involve factors such as chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune dysregulation associated with thalassemia-related complications like chronic hemolytic anemia and iron overload. This review aims to comprehensively analyze the relationship between asthma and hemoglobinopathies, with a focus on thalassemia and SCD. It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among pulmonologists, hematologists, and other healthcare professionals to effectively manage this complex interplay. Understanding this link is crucial for improving care and outcomes in affected individuals.
PubMed: 38892971
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13113263 -
Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory... 2024People with (a cough lasting more than 8 weeks) are often referred to different specialists and undergo numerous diagnostic tests, but clear guidance is lacking. This... (Review)
Review
People with (a cough lasting more than 8 weeks) are often referred to different specialists and undergo numerous diagnostic tests, but clear guidance is lacking. This work summarizes a consensus (an agreement) among medical specialists who are involved in managing people with : physicians (family doctors), pulmonologists (doctors who specialize in lung conditions), allergists (medical professionals specializing in allergies) and ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists. They discussed how to perform a basic assessment of people with in (day-to-day healthcare given by a general practitioner or family doctor) and how to refer them to different specialists based on clinical findings or test results.
Topics: Humans; Primary Health Care; Cough; Chronic Disease; Referral and Consultation; Consensus; Specialization; Predictive Value of Tests; Chronic Cough
PubMed: 38888181
DOI: 10.1177/17534666241257166 -
Clinical and Applied... 2024Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Risk scores associated with VTE have been widely used in clinical practice. Among numerous... (Review)
Review
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Risk scores associated with VTE have been widely used in clinical practice. Among numerous scores published, those included in guidelines are usually typical risk scores which have been extensively validated and globally recognized. This review provides an updated overview of the risk scores associated with VTE endorsed by 3 guidelines which are highly recognized in the field of VTE including the European Society of Cardiology, American College of Chest Physicians, and American Society of Hematology, focusing on the development, modification, validation, and comparison of these scores, to provide a comprehensive and updated understanding of all the classic risk scores associated with VTE to medical readers including but not limited to cardiologists, pulmonologists, hematologists, intensivists, physicians, surgeons, and researchers. Although each score recommended by these guidelines was more or less validated, there may still be room for further improvement. It may still be necessary to seek simpler, more practical, and more universally applicable VTE-related risk scores in the future.
Topics: Humans; Venous Thromboembolism; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Risk Factors; Societies, Medical; Risk Assessment; Female
PubMed: 38887044
DOI: 10.1177/10760296241263856 -
Mediastinum (Hong Kong, China) 2024Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided mediastinal cryobiopsy is a novel technique that increases the accuracy of diagnosing most pathologies that affect the... (Review)
Review
Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided mediastinal cryobiopsy is a novel technique that increases the accuracy of diagnosing most pathologies that affect the mediastinum. Although EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is the first choice in the diagnosis of mediastinal pathology, mediastinal cryobiopsy offers a larger and higher quality biopsy with minimal artifacts and no crushing when compared to conventional cytological samples obtained through EBUS-TBNA. It is particularly valuable in pathologies where EBUS-TBNA has diagnostic limitations, such as lymphoproliferative diseases, benign granulomatous conditions like sarcoidosis and silicosis, some rare infectious processes, metastases from rare non-pulmonary tumors, and in advanced stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) where immunohistochemistry and molecular analysis are essential for personalized treatment. Therefore, mediastinal cryobiopsy seems to play a crucial role in these challenging scenarios. However, there is ongoing debate in the field of interventional pulmonology regarding the best approach for obtaining a mediastinal cryobiopsy. Some interventional pulmonologists use a high-frequency needle knife to create an incision in the tracheobronchial wall adjacent to the mediastinal lesion before inserting the cryoprobe, while others use a needle to create a pathway to the target area. There are also variations in the use of endoscopic or ultrasound imaging for guidance. In this article, we aim to review the current literature on different methods of performing mediastinal cryobiopsy and share our own clinical experience and methodology in a systematic way for its implementation in a safe, fast, and effective way.
PubMed: 38881814
DOI: 10.21037/med-23-65 -
The Journal of Thoracic and... Jun 2024Lung cancers that present as radiographic subsolid nodules represent a subtype with distinct biological behavior and outcomes. The objective of this document is to...
OBJECTIVE
Lung cancers that present as radiographic subsolid nodules represent a subtype with distinct biological behavior and outcomes. The objective of this document is to review the existing literature and report consensus among a group of multidisciplinary experts, providing specific recommendations for the clinical management of subsolid nodules.
METHODS
The American Association for Thoracic Surgery Clinical Practice Standards Committee assembled an international, multidisciplinary expert panel composed of radiologists, pulmonologists, and thoracic surgeons with established expertise in the management of subsolid nodules. A focused literature review was performed with the assistance of a medical librarian. Expert consensus statements were developed with class of recommendation and level of evidence for each of 4 main topics: (1) definitions of subsolid nodules (radiology and pathology), (2) surveillance and diagnosis, (3) surgical interventions, and (4) management of multiple subsolid nodules. Using a modified Delphi method, the statements were evaluated and refined by the entire panel.
RESULTS
Consensus was reached on 17 recommendations. These consensus statements reflect updated insights on subsolid nodule management based on the latest literature and current clinical experience, focusing on the correlation between radiologic findings and pathological classifications, individualized subsolid nodule surveillance and surgical strategies, and multimodality therapies for multiple subsolid lung nodules.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the complex nature of the decision-making process in the management of subsolid nodules, consensus on several key recommendations was achieved by this American Association for Thoracic Surgery expert panel. These recommendations, based on evidence and a modified Delphi method, provide guidance for thoracic surgeons and other medical professionals who care for patients with subsolid nodules.
PubMed: 38878052
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2024.02.026 -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2024Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is considered a rare cause of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), which is reported in 6% of children with PCD. The...
BACKGROUND
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is considered a rare cause of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), which is reported in 6% of children with PCD. The forms of PCD associated with the variants of the GAS8 gene identified so far seem to be linked to recurrent respiratory infections (sinusitis, otitis, and bronchiectasis) without situs inversus.
CASE PRESENTATION
We report a case of an 11-year-old girl with recurrent otitis media, productive cough, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis with homozygosity for a novel nonsense mutation in the GAS8.
CONCLUSION
Children with CRSwNP should be treated in a multidisciplinary manner (ENT, pulmonologist, allergist, pathologist, pediatrician, and geneticist) because nasal polyposis often hides etiologies that must be recognized.
PubMed: 38873586
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1345265 -
European Clinical Respiratory Journal 2024Bronchoscopy and EBUS are standard procedures in lung cancer work-up but have low diagnostic yield in lesions outside the central airways and hilar/mediastinal lymph... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Bronchoscopy and EBUS are standard procedures in lung cancer work-up but have low diagnostic yield in lesions outside the central airways and hilar/mediastinal lymph nodes. Growing evidence on introducing the EBUS endoscope into the oesophagus (EUS-B) in the same session as bronchoscopy/EBUS gives access to new anatomical areas that can be safely biopsied.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize the current evidence of the added value of EUS-B-FNA to bronchoscopy and EBUS-TBNA in lung cancer work-up.
METHODS
A narrative review.
RESULTS
Few randomized trials or prospective studies are available. Prospective studies show that add-on EUS-B-FNA increases diagnostic yield when sampling abnormal mediastinal lymph nodes, para-oesophageal lung and left adrenal gland. A large retrospective series on EUS-B-FNA from retroperitoneal lymph nodes suggests high diagnostic yield without safety concerns, as do casuistic reports on EUS-B-FNA from mediastinal pleural thickening, pancreatic lesions, ascites fluid and pericardial effusions. No study has systematically assessed both diagnostic yield, safety, patient reported outcomes, adverse events and costs.
CONCLUSION
The diagnostic value of add-on EUS-B to standard bronchoscopy and EBUS in lung cancer work-up appears very promising without safety concerns, giving the pulmonologist access to a variety of sites out of reach with other minimally invasive techniques. Little is known on patient-reported outcomes and costs. Future and prospective research should focus on effectiveness aspects to clarify whether overall benefits of add-on EUS-B sufficiently exceed overall downsides.
PubMed: 38859948
DOI: 10.1080/20018525.2024.2362995