Publications by authors named "Crooks M"

Coughing is a symptom of many respiratory diseases. An increased amount of coughs may signal an (upcoming) health issue, while a decreasing amount of coughs may indicate an improved health status. The presence of a cough can be identified by a cough classifier.

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  • - The study aimed to understand the experiences and responses of COPD patients and their caregivers during exacerbations through semi-structured interviews at four different centers in England.
  • - A total of 40 patients and 7 caregivers participated, revealing three major themes: the importance of clinician language, the profound impact of symptom worsening, and the lasting effects of early help-seeking experiences on patient behavior.
  • - Findings suggest that early intervention and effective communication can significantly improve how patients and caregivers manage COPD exacerbations, with the "Breathing Space" framework offering a helpful approach for addressing their needs.
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It is likely that the burden of breathlessness in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is much higher than has been estimated using calculations of disease burden and expected prevalence of the symptom. However, most breathlessness research has been conducted in high-income countries and may not be relevant to LMICs. To address this issue, we convened an international breathlessness and global health workshop.

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Introduction: In sarcoidosis granulomas, monocyte-derived macrophages are activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF and IL-6. Current drug treatment for sarcoidosis aims to suppress inflammation but disabling side effects can ensue. The macrolide azithromycin may be anti-inflammatory.

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  • - This study investigates long-COVID symptoms and diagnoses in England, focusing on their prevalence and risk factors using electronic health records of over 1.5 million individuals with confirmed COVID infections.
  • - It found that 7.4% experienced long-COVID symptoms, with cough and back pain as the most common issues, while only a small fraction received formal long-COVID diagnostic codes.
  • - Key risk factors identified include female sex, non-white ethnicity, obesity, and pre-existing conditions like anxiety and diabetes, helping clinicians identify at-risk individuals for better management.
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Introduction: Azithromycin is an effective treatment for various respiratory conditions but its effect on cough is poorly understood. We synthesised data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and noncomparative studies (NCT) examining its effect on objective and subjective cough.

Methods: After prospective registration on PROSPERO, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL for both RCTs and NCT trials examining the effect azithromycin on cough in respiratory disease.

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The importance of integrated care for complex, multiple long term conditions was acknowledged before the COVID pandemic but remained a challenge. The pandemic and consequent development of Long COVID required rapid adaptation of health services to address the population's needs, requiring service redesigns including integrated care. This Delphi consensus study was conducted in the UK and found similar integrated care priorities for Long COVID and complex, multiple long term conditions, provided by 480 patients and health care providers, with an 80% consensus rate.

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Background: Respiratory viral infections are major drivers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. Interferon-β is naturally produced in response to viral infection, limiting replication. This exploratory study aimed to demonstrate proof-of-mechanism, and evaluate the efficacy and safety of inhaled recombinant interferon-β1a (SNG001) in COPD.

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Short-acting beta-agonist (SABA) over-use in asthma is harmful for patients and the environment. The Investment and Impact Fund (IIF) 2022/2023 financially rewarded English primary care networks that achieved specific targets, including reducing SABA over-use (RESP-02) and lowering the mean carbon footprint per salbutamol inhaler prescribed (ES-02). SENTINEL Plus is a co-designed quality improvement package that aims to improve asthma outcomes and reduce asthma's environmental impact by addressing SABA over-use.

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  • This study investigates the use of a 'smart' inhaler to monitor how well severe asthma patients stick to their treatment, specifically inhaled corticosteroids, and its effect on managing their asthma symptoms.
  • After switching patients to a new inhaler, data such as blood eosinophils and asthma control scores were collected, showing that good adherence (over 80% usage) is related to better asthma outcomes.
  • Results indicated that patients using the smart inhaler experienced significant improvements in asthma control without needing to start biological therapies, suggesting these devices could enhance treatment management.
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Introduction: Long-COVID is a heterogeneous condition with a litany of physical and neuropsychiatric presentations and its pathophysiology remains unclear. Little is known about the association between inflammatory biomarkers, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the acute phase, and persistent symptoms after hospitalization in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: IL-6, CRP, troponin-T, and ferritin were analyzed at admission for all patients with COVID-19 between September 1, 2020 to January 10, 2021.

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Background: Increased serum interleukin (IL)-33 predicts poor outcomes in patients hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We examined the efficacy and safety of tozorakimab, a monoclonal antibody that neutralises IL-33, in improving outcomes in ACCORD-2 (EudraCT: 2020-001736-95).

Methods: ACCORD-2 was an open-label, phase 2a study in adults hospitalised with COVID-19.

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Aim: Short-acting β-agonist (SABA) overuse adversely impacts asthma-related outcomes and the environment. The SABA rEductioN Through ImplemeNting Hull asthma guidELines (SENTINEL) programme aims to reduce SABA overuse through supported implementation of an adult asthma guideline, which advocates for a SABA-free maintenance and reliever therapy (MART)-preferred treatment where appropriate, across six primary care networks (PCNs) in the UK. We present findings on patient/disease characteristics, asthma prescribing patterns and exacerbation rates from the pilot PCN.

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Objective: E-cigarettes are increasingly being provided by publicly funded stop smoking services. Our objectives were to understand the challenges and establish the means by which services could best support the use and subsequent discontinuation of e-cigarettes for this purpose.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews and co-design workshops with service users and providers of a stop smoking service.

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Background: Despite the availability of vaccines and therapies, patients are being hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Interferon (IFN)-β is a naturally occurring protein that stimulates host immune responses against most viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. SNG001 is a recombinant IFN-β1a formulation delivered to the lungs nebuliser.

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Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused worldwide mass hospitalisation. The need for multidisciplinary post-hospitalisation rehabilitation is becoming increasingly apparent, and telerehabilitation has been endorsed. The aim of study was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of pulmonary telerehabilitation for COVID-19 survivors.

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Introduction: Long COVID (LC), the persistent symptoms ≥12 weeks following acute COVID-19, presents major threats to individual and public health across countries, affecting over 1.5 million people in the UK alone. Evidence-based interventions are urgently required and an integrated care pathway approach in pragmatic trials, which include investigations, treatments and rehabilitation for LC, could provide scalable and generalisable solutions at pace.

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Objectives: To determine the prevalence of organ impairment in long COVID patients at 6 and 12 months after initial symptoms and to explore links to clinical presentation.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Participants: Individuals.

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The availability of long-term (>2 years) safety outcomes of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) remains limited. We evaluated safety in a global SCS registry for chronic pain. Participants were prospectively enrolled globally at 79 implanting centers and followed out to 3 years after device implantation.

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Purpose: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the views of participants of a group-based, supervised, telerehabilitation programme, following discharge from hospital with Covid-19. This study was part of a single-centre, fast-track (wait-list), randomised, mixed-methods, feasibility trial of telerehabilitation (Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov reference:285205).

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Introduction: As mortality rates from COVID-19 disease fall, the high prevalence of long-term sequelae (Long COVID) is becoming increasingly widespread, challenging healthcare systems globally. Traditional pathways of care for Long Term Conditions (LTCs) have tended to be managed by disease-specific specialties, an approach that has been ineffective in delivering care for patients with multi-morbidity. The multi-system nature of Long COVID and its impact on physical and psychological health demands a more effective model of holistic, integrated care.

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