Respiratory

Rutgers University study finds that prescriptions for antihistamines rose after prescriptions for opioid-containing medications started to fall after 2008.

A new study examining the characteristics of patients seen in a cardiac intensive care unit found that the range of acute conditions is diverse, including acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, respiratory insufficiency, and shock, suggesting that optimizing staffing for increased efficiency might be useful.

US District Judge James E. Boasberg ruled that New Hampshire cannot move ahead with work requirements in exchange for Medicaid coverage; a study looking at 8 flavors of Juul e-liquids found the presence of acetals, irritating chemicals formed from alcohol and aldehydes, in the Crème brûlée flavor; Medicaid expansion advocates are petitioning Florida, Missouri, and Oklahoma to include ballot measures asking voters if they want to allow the federal healthcare program to cover more low-income adults.

Researchers said they have identified the mechanics that link a pro-inflammatory lipid in the infant microbiome at birth to the later development of allergies and asthma.

While poor sleep quality is common in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), it is unclear which factors other than sleep disordered breathing may contribute to poor sleep quality for these patients. A study published in ERJ Open Research found that providers should target depression and coexisting sleep disorders in order to improve sleep quality and quality of life for patients with ILD.

Researchers said if the findings are confirmed, pregnant women may want to limit their time outdoors when air quality advisories indicate unhealthy conditions.

An anaysis of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) diagnostic tests for 15 years, water disinfection treatment, and water sources has found that where a city gets it water can increase the risk of NTM infection more than how the water is treated.

Doctors writing for the American Academy of Pediatrics say 80% of the cases of a rare condition, paradoxical vocal fold motion, are confused with asthma.

As President Trump spoke about the environment and the economy, the American Lung Association and the American Public Health Association said that they will sue the administration over its decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan, which was passed under the Obama administration to reduce carbon pollution from power plants.

Early detection and treatment of lung cancer through screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) has been investigated as a potential tool for reducing lung cancer deaths, the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, for more than 2 decades. Published this week was an extended follow up study to the 2011 randomized National Lung Screening Trial that found a similar number of patients must be screened to prevent cancer deaths as determined in the original analysis.

A recent review looked at 2 types of eosinophilic pneumonia: acute eosinophilic pneumonia and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.

The FDA has approved dupilumab (Dupixent) for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Authors say more work is needed to understand the mechanisms behind their findings.

According to a study published earlier this week, nearly 95% of healthcare workers risk potentially transmitting respiratory viruses to both patients and coworkers by attending work even when they show symptoms.

European researchers said they have mapped the human lung on a single-cell level, differentiating cell types between patients with asthma and those without, including the discovery of a new cell state that produces mucus in asthma. This understanding could lead to finding new drug targets for treating asthma, the researchers said.

According to a recent study presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Dallas, Texas, and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly three-fourths of patients with mild, persistent asthma had a low sputum eosinophil levels and did not differ in their response to either mometasone or tiotropium when compared with placebo.

A recent study showed that older adults with uncontrolled asthma can benefit from interventions that tailor self-management support to improve various factors that impede asthma control, including those related to psychosocial, health, function, and cognitive barriers.

According to new research, recent advances in acoustic engineering and artificial intelligence have “shown promise” in the identification of respiratory conditions based on sound analysis, which may thus reduce dependence on support services and clinical expertise.