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Heliyon May 2024Dyspnea, a common symptom of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), is closely linked to higher levels of functional impairment and death, leading to significant societal... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Dyspnea, a common symptom of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), is closely linked to higher levels of functional impairment and death, leading to significant societal and financial challenges. Despite numerous clinical trials and systematic reviews suggested the potential benefits of acupuncture for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, there is currently insufficient evidence to conclusively prove its effectiveness in alleviating dyspnea in patients with CRDs.
METHODS
To compile and evaluate the existing data on the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for managing dyspnea in CRDs. Randomized controlled trials investigating acupuncture for the treatment of dyspnea in patients with CRDs, such as COPD, lung cancer, asthma, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease, chronic pulmonary heart disease and bronchitis, were searched and retrieved from five electronic databases in English or Chinese.
RESULTS
A total of 23 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were found in databases, covering various CRDs such as COPD, lung cancer, and asthma. A meta-analysis that compared acupuncture to a control group (which included no acupuncture and sham acupuncture) found significant advantages for acupuncture in reducing dyspnea severity ( = 0.0003), increasing 6MWD ( < 0.00001), improving quality of life measured by St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire ( = 0.03) and karnofsky performance status score ( < 0.00001). No significance was found in breathing physiology represented by FEV ( = 0.34) and FVC ( = 0.15). There was a comparable incidence of negative outcomes in both groups ( = 0.07). Results were consistent when compared to sham acupuncture. In addition, subgroup analyses were also consistent when different diseases or types of acupuncture were analyzed.
CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture may be an effective and safe non-pharmacological complementary intervention to relief dyspnea for patients with CRDs. Nevertheless, research with high quality and large sample sizes is needed for further investigation.
PubMed: 38813170
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31176 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024While ground-glass opacity, consolidation, and fibrosis in the lungs are some of the hallmarks of acute SAR-CoV-2 infection, it remains unclear whether these pulmonary... (Review)
Review
While ground-glass opacity, consolidation, and fibrosis in the lungs are some of the hallmarks of acute SAR-CoV-2 infection, it remains unclear whether these pulmonary radiological findings would resolve after acute symptoms have subsided. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate chest computed tomography (CT) abnormalities stratified by COVID-19 disease severity and multiple timepoints post-infection. PubMed/MEDLINE was searched for relevant articles until 23 May 2023. Studies with COVID-19-recovered patients and follow-up chest CT at least 12 months post-infection were included. CT findings were evaluated at short-term (1-6 months) and long-term (12-24 months) follow-ups and by disease severity (severe and non-severe). A generalized linear mixed-effects model with random effects was used to estimate event rates for CT findings. A total of 2517 studies were identified, of which 43 met the inclusion (N = 8858 patients). Fibrotic-like changes had the highest event rate at short-term (0.44 [0.3-0.59]) and long-term (0.38 [0.23-0.56]) follow-ups. A meta-regression showed that over time the event rates decreased for any abnormality (β = -0.137, = 0.002), ground-glass opacities (β = -0.169, < 0.001), increased for honeycombing (β = 0.075, = 0.03), and did not change for fibrotic-like changes, bronchiectasis, reticulation, and interlobular septal thickening ( > 0.05 for all). The severe subgroup had significantly higher rates of any abnormalities ( < 0.001), bronchiectasis ( = 0.02), fibrotic-like changes ( = 0.03), and reticulation ( < 0.001) at long-term follow-ups when compared to the non-severe subgroup. In conclusion, significant CT abnormalities remained up to 2 years post-COVID-19, especially in patients with severe disease. Long-lasting pulmonary abnormalities post-SARS-CoV-2 infection signal a future public health concern, necessitating extended monitoring, rehabilitation, survivor support, vaccination, and ongoing research for targeted therapies.
PubMed: 38535041
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14060621 -
Chest Feb 2024Inhaled antibiotics are recommended conditionally by international bronchiectasis guidelines for the treatment of patients with bronchiectasis, but results of individual...
BACKGROUND
Inhaled antibiotics are recommended conditionally by international bronchiectasis guidelines for the treatment of patients with bronchiectasis, but results of individual studies are inconsistent. A previous meta-analysis demonstrated promising results regarding the efficacy and safety of inhaled antibiotics in bronchiectasis. Subsequent publications have supplemented the existing body of evidence further in this area.
RESEARCH QUESTION
To what extent do inhaled antibiotics demonstrate both efficacy and safety as a treatment option for adults with bronchiectasis?.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of inhaled antibiotics in adult patients with bronchiectasis. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov for eligible studies. Studies were included if they enrolled adults with bronchiectasis diagnosed by CT imaging and had a treatment duration of at least 4 weeks. The primary end point was exacerbation frequency, with additional key efficacy end points including severe exacerbations, bacterial load, symptoms, quality of life, and FEV. Data were pooled through random-effects meta-analysis.
RESULTS
Twenty studies involving 3,468 patients were included. Inhaled antibiotics were associated with reduced number of patients with exacerbations (risk ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.96), a slight reduction in exacerbation frequency (rate ratio [RR], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68-0.91), a probable reduction in the frequency of severe exacerbations (RR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.31-0.74), and a likely slight increase in time to first exacerbation (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.68-0.94). Inhaled antibiotics likely lead to a slight increase in the Quality of Life-Bronchiectasis respiratory symptom score (2.51; 95% CI, 0.44-4.31) and may reduce scores on the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (-3.13; 95% CI, -5.93 to -0.32). Bacterial load consistently was reduced, but FEV was not changed with treatment. Evidence suggests little to no difference in adverse effects between groups (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.75-1.30). Antibiotic-resistant organisms likely were increased by treatment.
INTERPRETATION
Inhaled antibiotics result in a slight reduction in exacerbations, a probable reduction in severe exacerbations, and a likely slight improvement in symptoms and quality of life in adults with bronchiectasis.
TRIAL REGISTRY
International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews; No.: CRD42023384694; URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.
PubMed: 38309462
DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2024.01.045 -
European Respiratory Review : An... Jan 2024is the most commonly isolated pathogen in bronchiectasis and is associated with worse outcomes. Eradication treatment is recommended by guidelines, but the evidence... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION
is the most commonly isolated pathogen in bronchiectasis and is associated with worse outcomes. Eradication treatment is recommended by guidelines, but the evidence base is limited. The expected success rate of eradication in clinical practice is not known.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis according to Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Clinicaltrials.gov were searched for studies investigating eradication treatment using antibiotics (systemic or inhaled) in patients with bronchiectasis. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients negative for at 12 months after eradication treatment. Cystic fibrosis was excluded.
RESULTS
Six observational studies including 289 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis found a 12-month eradication rate of 40% (95% CI 34-45%; p<0.00001), with no significant heterogeneity (I=0%). Combined systemic and inhaled antibiotic treatment was associated with a higher eradication rate (48%, 95% CI 41-55%) than systemic antibiotics alone (27%, 13-45%).
CONCLUSION
Eradication treatment in bronchiectasis results in eradication of from sputum in ∼40% of cases at 12 months. Combined systemic and inhaled antibiotics achieve higher eradication rates than systemic antibiotics alone.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Pseudomonas Infections; Administration, Inhalation; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bronchiectasis; Cystic Fibrosis; Pseudomonas aeruginosa
PubMed: 38296344
DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0178-2023 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine Nov 2023Hemoptysis is one of the most common symptoms of respiratory system diseases. Common causes include bronchiectasis, tumors, tuberculosis, aspergilloma, and cystic... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Hemoptysis is one of the most common symptoms of respiratory system diseases. Common causes include bronchiectasis, tumors, tuberculosis, aspergilloma, and cystic fibrosis. The severity of hemoptysis varies from mild to moderate to massive hemoptysis and can easily lead to hemodynamic instability and death from suffocation or shock. Nevertheless, the most threatening hemoptysis that is presented to the emergency department and requires hospitalization is the massive one. In these cases, today, the most common way to manage hemoptysis is bronchial artery embolization (BAE).
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus from January 2017 (with the aim of selecting the newest possible reports in the literature) until May 2023 for studies reporting massive hemoptysis. All studies that included technical and clinical success rates of hemoptysis management, as well as rebleeding and mortality rates, were included. A proportional meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model.
RESULTS
Of the 30 studies included in this systematic review, 26 used bronchial artery embolization as a means of treating hemoptysis, with very high levels of both technical and clinical success (greater than 73.7% and 84.2%, respectively). However, in cases where it was not possible to use bronchial artery embolization, alternative methods were used, such as dual-vessel intervention (80% technical success rate and 66.7% clinical success rate), customized endobronchial silicone blockers (92.3% technical success rate and 92.3% clinical success rate), antifibrinolytic agents (50% clinical success rate), and percutaneous transthoracic embolization (93.1% technical success rate and 88.9% clinical success rate), which all had high success rates apart from antifibrinolytic agents. Of the 2467 patients included in these studies, 341 experienced rebleeding during the follow-up period, while 354 other complications occurred, including chest discomfort, fever, dysphagia, and paresis. A total of 89 patients died after an episode of massive hemoptysis or during the follow-up period. The results of the meta-analysis showed a pooled technical success of bronchial artery embolization equal to 97.22% and a pooled clinical success equal to 92.46%. The pooled recurrence was calculated to be 21.46%, while the mortality was 3.5%. These results confirm the ability of bronchial artery embolization in the treatment of massive hemoptysis but also emphasize the high rate of recurrence following the intervention, as well as the risk of death.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, massive hemoptysis can be treated with great clinical and technical success using bronchial artery embolization, reducing mortality. Mortality has now been reduced to a small percentage of cases.
PubMed: 38138876
DOI: 10.3390/jpm13121649 -
Cureus Oct 2023Muco-obstructive lung disease is a new classification under the diseases of respiratory tract. A lot of discussion is still going on regarding this new group of... (Review)
Review
Muco-obstructive lung disease is a new classification under the diseases of respiratory tract. A lot of discussion is still going on regarding this new group of diseases. It is characterised by obstruction of the respiratory tract with a thick mucin layer. Usually in normal individuals, the mucus is swept out of the respiratory system while coughing in the form of sputum or phlegm, but if the consistency of the mucus is thick, or the amount is heavy or there is a certain defect in the ciliary function of the respiratory tract, the mucus is not cleared and it gets accumulated in the lungs alveoli, therefore blocking it. The mucus trapped in the distal airways cannot be cleared by coughing therefore forming a layer in the alveoli and bronchioles. Long-standing condition causes inflammation and infection. This new group of diseases specifically includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). Asthma, although an obstructive disease of the lung, is not particularly included under muco-obstructive lung disease. The major symptoms with which these diseases present are sputum production, chronic cough and acute exacerbations of the condition. The mucus adheres to the lung parenchyma causing airway obstruction and hyperinflation. In this article, we will see how muco-obstructive lung diseases affect the normal physiology of the respiratory system and how is it different from other obstructive and restrictive lung diseases. We will individually look into all the four conditions that come under the category of muco-obstructive lung diseases.
PubMed: 37954759
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46866 -
European Respiratory Review : An... Sep 2023The number of patients completing unsupervised home spirometry has recently increased due to more widely available portable technology and the COVID-19 pandemic, despite... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
The number of patients completing unsupervised home spirometry has recently increased due to more widely available portable technology and the COVID-19 pandemic, despite a lack of solid evidence to support it. This systematic methodology review and meta-analysis explores quantitative differences in unsupervised spirometry compared with spirometry completed under professional supervision.
METHODS
We searched four databases to find studies that directly compared unsupervised home spirometry with supervised clinic spirometry using a quantitative comparison ( Bland-Altman). There were no restrictions on clinical condition. The primary outcome was measurement differences in common lung function parameters (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV), forced vital capacity (FVC)), which were pooled to calculate overall mean differences with associated limits of agreement (LoA) and confidence intervals (CI). We used the I statistic to assess heterogeneity, the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool to assess risk of bias and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess evidence certainty for the meta-analyses. The review has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021272816).
RESULTS
3607 records were identified and screened, with 155 full texts assessed for eligibility. We included 28 studies that quantitatively compared spirometry measurements, 17 of which reported a Bland-Altman analysis for FEV and FVC. Overall, unsupervised spirometry produced lower values than supervised spirometry for both FEV with wide variability (mean difference -107 mL; LoA= -509, 296; I=95.8%; p<0.001; very low certainty) and FVC (mean difference -184 mL, LoA= -1028, 660; I=96%; p<0.001; very low certainty).
CONCLUSIONS
Analysis under the conditions of the included studies indicated that unsupervised spirometry is not interchangeable with supervised spirometry for individual patients owing to variability and underestimation.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Forced Expiratory Volume; Pandemics; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Spirometry
PubMed: 37673426
DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0248-2022 -
Journal of Global Health Sep 2023China has a high burden of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections. Immunocompromised populations, such as those with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
China has a high burden of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections. Immunocompromised populations, such as those with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), are at a higher risk of being infected with NTM than immunocompetent individuals. Yet, there is a paucity of information on the clinical features of positive NTM isolates from patients with HIV/AIDS in China. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies, comparing them against current expert consensus to provide guidance for clinical practice.
METHODS
Two researchers independently searched eight databases (SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) from inception to 26 December 2022 to retrieve published Chinese- and English-language studies reporting clinical features of NTM-positive isolates among patients with HIV/AIDS in China.
RESULTS
We included 28 studies with 1861 patients. The rate of positive NTM isolates detected from men among all patients was 87.3%. NTM species distribution was mainly Mycobacterium avium complex (64.3%), which was predominant in different regions. The five most common clinical symptoms were fever (68.5%), cough or expectoration (67.0%), appetite loss (49.4%), weight loss (45.5%), and superficial lymphadenectasis (41.1%). The prevalence of laboratory tests were as follows: albumin <35 g/L (55.6%), erythrocyte sedimentation rate >20 mm/h (91.4%), anaemia (59.0%), predominantly mild, CD4+ T cell count ≤50 pieces/μL (70.3%), and CD4+ T cell count 51-200 pieces/μL (22.1%). Lesion manifestations in thoracic imaging mainly included bilateral lung involvement (83.8%), showed stripe shadows (60.3%), patchy shadows (42.9%), nodules (40.6%), and bronchiectasis (38.6%). Accompanied signs included thoracic lymph node enlargement (49.5%). Seventy per cent of symptoms improved after treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Focusing on clinical symptoms, laboratory tests, and thoracic imaging helps with initial screening for NTM infections. Physicians should raise awareness of the diagnosis and treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex, providing guidance for experimental treatment, screening of priority populations for NTM infections, and prophylactic treatment of NTM disease.
REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42023388185.
Topics: Humans; Male; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; China; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous; HIV Infections
PubMed: 37651639
DOI: 10.7189/jogh.13.04093 -
European Respiratory Review : An... Sep 2023A proportion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors experience persistent dyspnoea without measurable impairments in lung function. We performed a systematic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
A proportion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors experience persistent dyspnoea without measurable impairments in lung function. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine relationships between dyspnoea and imaging abnormalities over time in post-COVID-19 patients.
METHODS
Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we analysed studies published prior to 15 September 2022 and indexed by Google Scholar, PubMed and LitCOVID which assessed chest imaging in adults ≥3 months after COVID-19. Demographic, chest imaging, spirometric and post-COVID-19 symptom data were extracted. The relationships between imaging abnormalities and dyspnoea, sex and age were determined using a random effects model and meta-regression.
RESULTS
47 studies were included in the meta-analysis (n=3557). The most prevalent computed tomography (CT) imaging abnormality was ground-glass opacities (GGOs) (44.9% (95% CI 37.0-52.9%) at any follow-up time-point). Occurrence of reticulations significantly decreased between early and late follow-up (p=0.01). The prevalence of imaging abnormalities was related to the proportion of patients with dyspnoea (p=0.012). The proportion of females was negatively correlated with the presence of reticulations (p=0.001), bronchiectasis (p=0.001) and consolidations (p=0.025). Age was positively correlated with imaging abnormalities across all modalities (p=0.002) and imaging abnormalities present only on CT (p=0.001) (GGOs (p=0.004) and reticulations (p=0.001)). Spirometric values improved during follow-up but remained within the normal range at all time-points.
CONCLUSIONS
Imaging abnormalities were common 3 months after COVID-19 and their occurrence was significantly related to the presence of dyspnoea. This suggests that CT imaging is a sensitive tool for detecting pulmonary abnormalities in patients with dyspnoea, even in the presence of normal spirometric measurements.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Lung; Dyspnea; Lung Diseases
PubMed: 37558261
DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0253-2022 -
BMJ Open Respiratory Research Jul 2023Aboriginal Australians are reported to have higher presence of chronic respiratory diseases. However, comprehensive evidence surrounding this is sparse. Hence, a...
BACKGROUND
Aboriginal Australians are reported to have higher presence of chronic respiratory diseases. However, comprehensive evidence surrounding this is sparse. Hence, a systematic review was undertaken to appraise the current state of knowledge on respiratory health in the adult Aboriginal Australians, in particular among the three most common respiratory disorders: asthma, bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
METHODS
A systematic review of primary literature published between January 2012 and October 2022, using the databases and , was conducted. Studies were included if they reported adult Aboriginal Australian prevalence's or outcomes related to asthma, bronchiectasis or COPD, and excluded if adult data were not reported separately, if Aboriginal Australian data were not reported separately or if respiratory disorders were combined into a single group. Risk of bias was assessed by both Joanne Briggs Institute checklists and Hoys' bias assessment. Summary data pertaining to prevalence, lung function, symptoms, sputum cultures and mortality for each of asthma, bronchiectasis and COPD were extracted from the included studies.
RESULTS
Thirty-seven studies were included, involving approximately 33 364 participants (71% female). Eighteen studies reported on asthma, 21 on bronchiectasis and 30 on COPD. The majority of studies (94%) involved patients from hospitals or respiratory clinics and were retrospective in nature. Across studies, the estimated prevalence of asthma was 15.4%, bronchiectasis was 9.4% and COPD was 13.7%, although there was significant geographical variation. Only a minority of studies reported on clinical manifestations (n=7) or symptoms (n=4), and studies reporting on lung function parameters (n=17) showed significant impairment, in particular among those with concurrent bronchiectasis and COPD. Airway exacerbation frequency and hospital admission rates including mortality are high.
DISCUSSION
Although risk of bias globally was assessed as low, and study quality as high, there was limited diversity of studies with most reporting on referred populations, and the majority originating from two centres in the Northern Territory. The states with the greatest Aboriginal Australian population (Victoria and New South Wales) reported the lowest number of studies and patients. This limits the generalisability of results to the wider Aboriginal Australian population due to significant environmental, cultural and socioeconomic variation across the population. Regardless, Aboriginal Australians appear to display a high prevalence, alongside quite advanced and complex chronic respiratory diseases. There is however significant heterogeneity of prevalence, risk factors and outcomes geographically and by patient population. Further collaborative efforts are required to address specific diagnostic and management pathways in order to close the health gap secondary to respiratory disorders in this population.
Topics: Humans; Adult; Female; Male; Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples; Retrospective Studies; Australia; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Asthma; Bronchiectasis; Respiration Disorders
PubMed: 37451702
DOI: 10.1136/bmjresp-2023-001738