Articles

Criteria for enhancing mucus transport: a systematic scoping review

Uncertainty exists regarding the physiological basis of physiotherapy strategies to facilitate mucus clearance. The aim of this review was to describe the physiological factors and intrinsic conditions that fa...

Authors: Alison Pieterse and Susan D. Hanekom

XII AIST 2018 Conference: “The thousand faces of cough: clinical and therapeutic updates”

This paper summarizes the presentations submitted for publication of the 12^th AIST National Congress (Associazione Italiana Studio Tosse/Italian Association for Cough Study) entitled “The thousand facets of cough...

Authors: Alessandro Zanasi, Antonio M. Morselli-Labate, Massimiliano Mazzolini, Marianna Mastroroberto, Roberto W. Dal Negro, Ivan Poliacek, Alyn H. Morice, Sara Maio, Giovanni Viegi, Jamie Koufman, Francesco Torresan, Alexandros Ioannou, Daniele Mandolesi, Elisa Liverani, Amedeo Montale, Franco Bazzoli…

Fluticasone furoate/Vilanterol 92/22 μg once-a-day vs Beclomethasone dipropionate/Formoterol 100/6 μg b.I.D.: a 12-month comparison of outcomes in mild-to-moderate asthma

Bronchial asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways. Beclomethasone dipropionate/Formoterol (BDP/F) and Fluticasone furoate/Vilanterol (FF/V) are two of the most effective LABA/ICS combinations for mana...

Authors: Roberto W. Dal Negro, Luca Bonadiman and Paola Turco

“Pulmonary Actinomycosis attributable to Actinomyces meyeri presenting as cardiac tamponade: a case report”

Recently, it is reported that Actinomyces meyeri is the most common species causing actinomycosis. However, to our knowledge, there was no report about pulmonary actinomycosis attributable to A. meyeri presenting...

Authors: Saori Nishizawa, Keisuke Anan, Kazunori Tobino, Masanobu Okahisa, Yuki Goto, Kojin Murakami, Takuto Sueyasu, Miyuki Munechika, Kohei Yoshimine and Mai Yoshino

Effect of pirfenidone on wound healing in lung transplant patients

The drug pirfenidone has been shown to slow the progression and decrease mortality of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Its exact mechanism is unknown, but it likely inhibits pro-fibrotic cytokine transform...

Authors: Amber Mortensen, Lauren Cherrier and Rajat Walia

Outdoor air pollution and respiratory health: a bibliometric analysis of publications in peer-reviewed journals (1900 – 2017)

Outdoor air pollution is a major threat to global public health that needs responsible participation of researchers at all levels. Assessing research output is an important step in highlighting national and in...

Authors: Waleed M. Sweileh, Samah W. Al-Jabi, Sa’ed H. Zyoud and Ansam F. Sawalha

Delay and inequalities in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: the case of two Nordic countries

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressive loss of lung function with high mortality within the first 5 years from diagnosis. In 2011–2014, two drugs, pirfenidone and nintedanib, have ...

Authors: Ida Pesonen, Lisa Carlson, Nicola Murgia, Riitta Kaarteenaho, Carl Magnus Sköld, Marjukka Myllärniemi and Giovanni Ferrara

Onsite production of medical air: is purity a problem?

Medical air (MA) is widely used in hospitals, often manufactured onsite by compressing external ambient air and supplied through a local network piping system. Onsite production gives rise to a risk of impurit...

Authors: Paul Edwards, Patricia-Ann Therriault and Ira Katz

A quick relaxation exercise for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: explorative randomized controlled trial

People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) suffer from dyspnoea, which may be increased by anxiety. Previous studies suggest that relaxation techniques may have positive effects in pulmonary reha...

Authors: Eleonora Volpato, Paolo Banfi, Antonello Nicolini and Francesco Pagnini

Non-typeable Haemophilus Influenzae detection in the lower airways of patients with lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic airway inflammation and hypersensitivity to bacterial infection may contribute to lung cancer pathogenesis. Previous studies have demonstrated that nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is the most co...

Authors: Krishna B. Sriram, Amanda J. Cox, Pathmanathan Sivakumaran, Maninder Singh, Annabelle M. Watts, Nicholas P. West and Allan W. Cripps

Examining the social status, risk factors and lifestyle changes of tuberculosis patients in Sri Lanka during the treatment period: a cross-sectional study

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health problem, commonly seen in underdeveloped countries. The probability of contracting the disease is significantly higher among the economically vulnerable and the socia...

Authors: Madapathage Gayan Buddhika Senanayake, Sumudu Indika Wickramasinghe, Sudath Samaraweera, Pubudu De Silva and Sisira Edirippulige

Tuberculosis in South Asia: a tide in the affairs of men

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the most common cause of infectious disease deaths worldwide. What is perhaps less appreciated is that the caseload of tuberculosis patients in South Asia is staggering.

Authors: Buddha Basnyat, Maxine Caws and Zarir Udwadia

Association of sleep quality with excessive daytime somnolence and quality of life of elderlies of community

The progressive increase in the elderly population contributes to the fact that studies on human aging have important attention of health professionals and government agents, since they present a great challen...

Authors: Glauber Sá Brandão, Fernanda Warken Rosa Camelier, Antônia Adonis Callou Sampaio, Glaudson Sá Brandão, Anderson Soares Silva, Glaucia Sá Brandão Freitas Gomes, Claudio F. Donner, Luis Vicente Franco Oliveira and Aquiles Assunção Camelier

Influenza and influenza-like syndromes: the subjects’ beliefs, the attitude to prevention and treatment, and the impact in Italian general population

Influenza and influenza-like syndromes (I-LSs) are infectious diseases occurring on a seasonal basis which can lead to upper (URTI) and lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI) of different severity. The approac...

Authors: Roberto W. Dal Negro, Alessandro Zanasi, Paola Turco and Massimiliano Povero

The patient needing prolonged mechanical ventilation: a narrative review

Progress in management has improved hospital mortality of patients admitted to the intensive care units, but also the prevalence of those patients needing weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation, and of ...

Authors: Nicolino Ambrosino and Michele Vitacca

Obstructive sleep apnea knowledge and attitudes among recent medical graduates training in Ecuador

We aimed to assess recent Latin American medical school graduates’ knowledge and attitudes about OSA and examine whether their knowledge and attitudes about OSA differed from practicing physicians.

Authors: Iván Chérrez-Ojeda, Juan Carlos Calderón, Andrea Fernández García, Donna B. Jeffe, Ilka Santoro, Emanuel Vanegas, Annia Cherrez, José Cano, Freddy Betancourt and Daniel Simancas-Racines

Case finding of Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency: never wasted time!

Authors: Bruno Balbi

Home exercise improves the quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness of elderlies: a randomized controlled trial

Aging causes physiological changes which affect the quality of sleep. Supervised physical exercise is an important therapeutic resource to improve the sleep of the elderlies, however there is a low adherence t...

Authors: Glauber Sá Brandão, Glaucia Sá Brandão Freitas Gomes, Glaudson Sá Brandão, Antônia A. Callou Sampaio, Claudio F. Donner, Luis V. F. Oliveira and Aquiles Assunção Camelier

Reference values for spirometry in elderly individuals: a cross-sectional study of different reference equations

Spirometry is the single most important test for the evaluation of respiratory function. The results are interpreted by comparing measured data with predicted values previously obtained from a reference popula...

Authors: Joana Belo, Teresa Palmeiro, Iolanda Caires, Ana L. Papoila, Marta Alves, Pedro Carreiro-Martins, Maria A. Botelho and Nuno Neuparth

Assessment of osteoporosis using the FRAX method and the importance of vitamin D levels in COPD patients

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the availability of FRAX for assessing osteoporosis risk, and to demonstrate the importance of vitamin D levels in COPD patients.

Authors: Ceyda Anar, Melike Yüksel Yavuz, Filiz Güldaval, Yelda Varol and Dilek Kalenci

Role of guaifenesin in the management of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections

Guaifenesin, a mucoactive drug, acts by loosening mucus in the airways and making coughs more productive. It is used for relief of wet cough and chest congestion due to the common cold, and remains the only le...

Authors: Helmut H. Albrecht, Peter V. Dicpinigaitis and Eric P. Guenin

A pilot study with early adolescents: dealing with diet, tobacco and air pollution using practical experiences and biological markers

Tobacco use and the Western diet are two of the most important and investigated topics in relation to adolescents’ health. In addition, air pollution is a crucial subject for future generations. School is a ke...

Authors: Chiara Marabelli, Elena Munarini, Micaela Lina, Roberto Mazza, Roberto Boffi, Cinzia De Marco, Ario Ruprecht, Giorgia Angellotti, Chiara Veronese, Paolo Pozzi, Eleonora Bruno, Giuliana Gargano, Adalberto Cavalleri, Giulia Garrone and Franco Berrino

Nasal Muco-ciliary transport time alteration: efficacy of 18 B Glycyrrhetinic acid

Mucociliary clearance is the main self-clearing system of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.

Authors: Desiderio Passali, Chiara Cappello, Giulio Cesare Passali, Cemal Cingi, Codrut Sarafoleanu and Luisa Maria Bellussi

COPD management as a model for all chronic respiratory conditions: report of the 4^th Consensus Conference in Respiratory Medicine

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) kill 40 million people each year. The management of chronic respiratory NCDs such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is particularly critical in Italy, where they ...

Authors: Stefano Nardini, Fernando De Benedetto, Claudio M. Sanguinetti, Salvatore Bellofiore, Stefano Carlone, Salvatore Privitera, Luciano Sagliocca and Emmanuele Tupputi

Uneven distribution of professors and instructors in medical disciplines dealing with the four main chronic non-communicable diseases: the case of the Italian Universities

Chronic (non-communicable) diseases (NCD) -- principally cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes -- are leading causes of death and disability. There is the need to adopt a ...

Authors: Giovanni Viegi, Stefano Centanni and Francesco Blasi

Case-finding for alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency in Kazakh patients with COPD

Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is an under-diagnosed condition in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to screen for AATD in Kazakh patients with COPD us...

Authors: Ardak Zhumagaliyeva, Stefania Ottaviani, Timm Greulich, Marina Gorrini, Claus Vogelmeier, Ludmila Karazhanova, Gulmira Nurgazina, Annalisa DeSilvestri, Victor Kotke, Valentina Barzon, Michele Zorzetto, Angelo Corsico and Ilaria Ferrarotti

Antibiotic therapy, supportive treatment and management of immunomodulation-inflammation response in community acquired pneumonia: review of recommendations

Community-acquired pneumonia is a common and serious disease, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Management and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia are described in three main documents: the 200...

Authors: Marco Mantero, Paolo Tarsia, Andrea Gramegna, Sonia Henchi, Nicolò Vanoni and Marta Di Pasquale

Second lung malignancy and Richter syndrome in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: case report and literature review

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most frequent lymphoproliferative disease. Transformation into Richter disease and occurrence of second malignancies involving the lungs are rare complications. The ha...

Authors: Ghassen Soussi, Selsabil Daboussi, Samira Mhamdi, Zied Moatemri, Hela Ghedira, Chiraz Aichaouia, Mohsen Khadhraoui, Faouzi El Mezni and Rezaik Cheikh

Effects of combination therapy indacaterol/glycopyrronium versus tiotropium on moderate to severe COPD: evaluation of impulse oscillometry and exacerbation rate

Small airways are considered the major site of airflow limitation in COPD. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a forced oscillation technique, which provides passive measurement of lung mechanics. It can differentia...

Authors: Antonio Molino, Francesca Simioli, Anna Agnese Stanziola, Mauro Mormile, Maria Martino and Maria D’Amato

Desmoplastic small round cell tumors of the pleura: a review of the clinical literature

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor of the pleura is a rare malignancy, with only a few cases reported in the scientific literature. The aim of the present review is to discuss the demographic, pathological, c...

Authors: Alessandro Giuseppe Fois, Pietro Pirina, Antonella Arcadu, Francesca Becciu, Sandra Manca, Viviana Marras, Sara Canu, Gaetano Castagna, Giorgio Carlo Ginesu, Angelo Zinellu and Panagiotis Paliogiannis

Could Eosinophilia predict clinical severity in nasal polyps?

Although nasal polyps are one of the most frequent diseases, their etiopathogenesis remains unclear.Since eosinophils are the main inflammatory cells in the substantial proportion of nasal polyp tissues, they ...

Authors: Figen Aslan, Eren Altun, Serpil Paksoy and Gulay Turan

The history and epidemiology of Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus

Corona viruses cause common cold, and infections caused by corona viruses are generally self-resolving. During the last 4 years, corona viruses have become the most important viruses worldwide because of the o...

Authors: Aisha M. Al-Osail and Marwan J. Al-Wazzah

Implementation of GOLD consensus report in real life: results from the Velletri-Lariano (VELA) cohort

COPD is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Pharmacotherapy improves quality of life and reduces exacerbations although low adherence with prescribed treatments may represent a barrier to opt...

Authors: G. De Filippi, M. Lallini, G. De Riggi, G. Marchetti, C. M. Dimartino, A. M. Russetti, E. Ferrari, R. Pistelli, M. S. Magnoni, M. Riparbelli, A. Rizzi and P. Angeletti

Mutational status predicts the risk of thromboembolic events in lung adenocarcinoma

Precision medicine promises to improve prognosis of patients affected by untreatable diseases. Patients with lung cancer (especially lung adenocarcinoma) bear an increased risk of VTE. Mutations in the EGFR an...

Authors: Elsa Davidsson, Nicola Murgia, Cristian Ortiz-Villalón, Emil Wiklundh, Magnus Sköld, Karl Gustav Kölbeck and Giovanni Ferrara

Novel aspects in diagnostic approach to respiratory patients: is it the time for a new semiotics?

Medical approach to patients is a fundamental step to get the correct diagnosis. The aim of this paper is to analyze some aspects of the reasoning process inherent in medical diagnosis in our era. Pathologic s...

Authors: Gino Soldati, Andrea Smargiassi, Alberto A. Mariani and Riccardo Inchingolo

Erratum to: Recent advances in capsule-based dry powder inhaler technology

Authors: Federico Lavorini, Massimo Pistolesi and Omar S. Usmani

Instant velocity and consistency of emitted cloud change by the different levels of canister filling with Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs), but not with Soft Mist Inhalers (SMIs): a bench study

Inhalation is the preferred route for respiratory drug delivery, but several factors contribute to the variability of the respirable dose fraction. Instant velocity and the dynamic characteristics of the dropl...

Authors: Roberto W. Dal Negro, Pietro Longo, Orestepaolo Villanis Ziani, Luca Bonadiman and Paola Turco

Erratum to: The evidence on tiotropium bromide in asthma: from the rationale to the bedside

Authors: Dejan Radovanovic, Pierachille Santus, Francesco Blasi and Marco Mantero

Recent advances in capsule-based dry powder inhaler technology

Pulmonary drug delivery is currently the focus of accelerated research and development because of the potential to produce maximum therapeutic benefit to patients by directly targeting drug to the site of path...

Authors: Federico Lavorini, Massimo Pistolesi and Omar S. Usmani

Using PaCO2 values to grade obesity-hypoventilation syndrome severity: a retrospective study

To date, an important aspect that has still not been clarified is the assessment of OHS severity. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate whether grading OHS severity according to PaCO₂ values may...

Authors: Mario Francesco Damiani, Vito Antonio Falcone, Pierluigi Carratù, Cristina Scoditti, Elioda Bega, Silvano Dragonieri, Alfredo Scoditti and Onofrio Resta

Clinico- pathologic presentation of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in Egyptian patients: a multidisciplinary study

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a common diffuse parenchymal lung disease in Egypt which can be difficult to recognize due to the dynamic symptoms & associated environmental factors.

Authors: Dalia Abd El-Kareem, Yosri M. Akl, Gina A. Nakhla, Ali A. Elhindawi and Mahmoud A. Eltorky

The evidence on tiotropium bromide in asthma: from the rationale to the bedside

Severe and poorly controlled asthma still accounts for a great portion of the patients affected. Disease control and future risk management have been identified by international guidelines as the main goals in...

Authors: Dejan Radovanovic, Pierachille Santus, Francesco Blasi and Marco Mantero

Tele-medicine in respiratory diseases

Information and Communication Technologies applied to health care and advances in sensor and data transmission technology allowed tele-medicine based programs of care also for patients with respiratory diseases.

Authors: Nicolino Ambrosino, Dewi Nurul Makhabah and Yusup Subagio Sutanto

Longitudinal assessment of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis by Micro-CT correlates with histological evaluation in mice

The intratracheal instillation of bleomycin in mice induces early damage to alveolar epithelial cells and development of inflammation followed by fibrotic tissue changes and represents the most widely used mod...

Authors: Francesca Ruscitti, Francesca Ravanetti, Jeroen Essers, Yanto Ridwan, Sasha Belenkov, Wim Vos, Francisca Ferreira, Alex KleinJan, Paula van Heijningen, Cedric Van Holsbeke, Antonio Cacchioli, Gino Villetti and Franco Fabio Stellari

A reappraisal of the mucoactive activity and clinical efficacy of bromhexine

Since its introduction to the market in 1963, bromhexine, an over-the-counter drug, has been investigated for its activity in animal models and in humans with diverse respiratory conditions. Bromhexine is a de...

Authors: Alessandro Zanasi, Massimiliano Mazzolini and Ahmad Kantar

Characteristics of an optimized patient information material for elderly patients with obstructive pulmonary diseases based on patients’ and experts’ assessment

Life-long regular use of drugs is necessary in chronic diseases like asthma and COPD. There are several methods to improve adherence including patient information and education; however, their effectiveness on...

Authors: Gábor Tomisa, Alpár Horváth, Brigitta Dombai and Lilla Tamási

Ventilator associated pneumonia or ventilator induced pneumonia

Ventilator associated pneumonia currently in vogue seems to have some pitfalls as far as the nomenclature is concerned and thus it imparts an erroneous impression to the reader. As the driving force is in fact...

Authors: Zahid Hussain Khan, Piero Ceriana and Claudio F. Donner

Each day is a new beginning

Authors: Francesco Blasi and Claudio M. Sanguinetti

The physiological basis and clinical significance of lung volume measurements

From a physiological standpoint, the lung volumes are either dynamic or static. Both subclasses are measured at different degrees of inspiration or expiration; however, dynamic lung volumes are characteristica...

Authors: Mohamed Faisal Lutfi

Once daily aerosolised tobramycin in adult patients with cystic fibrosis in the management of Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic infection

It is estimated that about 60–70% of Cystic Fibrosis patients develop Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic infection, with progressive loss of lung function, as well as increased antibiotic resistance and mortality.

Authors: Marco Mantero, Andrea Gramegna, Giovanna Pizzamiglio, Alice D’Adda, Paolo Tarsia and Francesco Blasi