Expert consensus on oral corticosteroids stewardship for the treatment of severe asthma in the Middle East and Africa.

In the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, overuse of oral corticosteroids (OCS) for asthma management, both as burst and maintenance therapy, poses a significant challenge. Gaps in knowledge regarding the need to taper OCS in patients with severe asthma and the use of OCS in comorbid conditions have been noted. OCS stewardship can help attain optimal and effective OCS tapering along with reducing OCS overuse and over-reliance.

Adult vaccination against respiratory infections in Egypt: a review of expert opinions.

Introduction: Lower respiratory tract infection is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality all over the world, with a substantial impact on healthcare costs. In Egypt, local consensus on its burden, diagnosis, and vaccination is scarce. This expert opinion is the first to address the local recommendations for vaccinating adults against respiratory infection.

Recommended approaches for screening and early detection of lung cancer in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region: a consensus statement.

Background: The prevalence of lung cancer in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region has steadily increased in recent years and is generally associated with a poor prognosis due to the late detection of most of the cases. We explored the factors leading to delayed diagnoses, as well as the challenges and gaps in the early screening, detection, and referral framework for lung cancer in the MEA.

Methods: A steering committee meeting was convened in October 2022, attended by a panel of ten key external experts in the field of oncology from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, who critically and extensively analyzed the current unmet needs and challenges in the screening and early diagnosis of lung cancer in the region.

Proposed Strategies to Improve Adult Asthma Management in Egypt: Expert Review and Recommendations.

Background: Several challenges face asthma management in Egypt, including the high percentage of uncontrolled patients, inadequate compliance, and overuse of short-acting beta-agonists (SABAs) leading to increased asthma-related morbidity and mortality. In this regard, the recent Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) recommendations included inhaled corticosteroids containing therapy for mild asthma. Local healthcare systems and healthcare professionals (HCPs) often experience practical challenges when implementing global guidelines.

Over-prescription of short-acting β-agonists is associated with poor asthma outcomes: results from the African cohort of the SABINA III study.

Background: The extent of short-acting β-agonist (SABA) overuse in Africa remains poorly documented. As part of the SABA use IN Asthma (SABINA) III study, we assessed SABA prescriptions/clinical outcomes in 3 African countries.

Methods: Data on disease characteristics/asthma treatments were collected from patients (≥12 years) using electronic case report forms.

Bronchoscopic management as an alternative treatment in non-operable benign tracheal stenosis.

Background: Endoluminal therapy either by dilatation, scar tissue resection or stent insertion is an established treatment for non-malignant airway stenosis although the surgical approach is still considered the "gold standard." No clear consensus exists on the structured role of each modality.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the role of bronchoscopic management in non-operable tracheal stenosis cases, evaluating the effectiveness and safety of each procedure based on a structured algorithmic approach.

Bronchoscopic foreign body extraction in a pulmonary medicine department: a retrospective review of egyptian experience.

Foreign body (FB) removal in our hospital was almost exclusively performed by surgeons through a rigid bronchoscope until the pulmonologists started getting involved in FB extraction. This study aimed to retrospectively review the results of 2 years of experience with 120 patients who presented or were referred to the Pulmonary Medicine Department, Ain Shams University Hospital in Cairo, Egypt, with clinical suspicion of FB aspiration during the period between December 2006 and December 2008. FBs were removed by either rigid and/or flexible bronchoscopy using either general or topical anesthesia.

Endobronchial Ultrasound-directed Transbronchial Needle Aspiration in Diagnosis of Mediastinal Lesions: Initial Egyptian Experience.

Mediastinal lesions represent a diagnostic challenge and often require invasive approaches. We evaluated the role of radial probe endobronchial ultrasound-directed transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the evaluation of mediastinal lesions. Between March 2005 to February 2006, 30 consecutive patients with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes from unknown etiologies or suspicious for metastatic bronchogenic carcinoma and mediastinal masses underwent EBUS-TBNA and were clinically followed up.