Lung ultrasound score and diaphragm ultrasound in weaning from mechanical ventilation: are they different in patients with and without COVID-19?

Objective: To compare pre-extubation physiological characteristics and ultrasound variables between patients intubated for COVID-19 compared to a clinical population and those intubated for other reasons.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) for more than 48 h. Patients were divided into two groups: those intubated for COVID-19-induced ARDS and those intubated for other clinical reasons.

Factors associated with cystic fibrosis mortality before the age of 30: retrospective analysis of a cohort in southern Brazil.

The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the factors associated with mortality before the age of 30 in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) followed up at a referral center in southern Brazil. This study included individuals over 18 years of age. Clinical data related to childhood and the period of transition to an adult healthcare of individuals with CF were recorded, as well as spirometric and mortality data of individuals between 18 and 30 years of age.

Asthma control and sputum eosinophils in adult patients: a cross-sectional study in southern Brazil.

Asthma control and health related quality of life are an important goal of asthma management, but their association with sputum eosinophilic inflammation has been less firmly established. To investigate the relationship of asthma control and quality of life with sputum eosinophils in clinical practice. Cross-sectional study with a convenience sample, including patients with asthma, aged between 18 and 65 years, attending to outpatient clinic.

Effects of an early rehabilitation program for adult cystic fibrosis patients during hospitalization: a randomized clinical trial.

There is little information on pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) with pulmonary exacerbation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an early rehabilitation program on lung function, muscle strength, inflammatory markers, and quality of life in adults with CF hospitalized for pulmonary exacerbation. In this randomized controlled trial, 19 patients were included in the intervention group and 15 in the control group.

Impact of impaired pulmonary function on clinical outcomes in survivors of severe COVID-19 without pre-existing respiratory disease.

Objective: To investigate the impact of impaired pulmonary function on patient-centered outcomes after hospital discharge due to severe COVID-19 in patients without preexisting respiratory disease.

Methods: This is an ongoing prospective cohort study evaluating patients (> 18 years of age) 2-6 months after hospital discharge due to severe COVID-19. Respiratory symptoms, health-related quality of life, lung function, and the six-minute walk test were assessed.

Brazilian guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of the pulmonary symptoms of cystic fibrosis. Official document of the Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisiologia (SBPT, Brazilian Thoracic Association).

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that results in dysfunction of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, which is a chloride and bicarbonate channel expressed in the apical portion of epithelial cells of various organs. Dysfunction of that protein results in diverse clinical manifestations, primarily involving the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, impairing quality of life and reducing life expectancy. Although CF is still an incurable pathology, the therapeutic and prognostic perspectives are now totally different and much more favorable.

Post-discharge mortality in adult patients hospitalized for tuberculosis: a prospective cohort study.

Determining outcomes and predictors of mortality following discharge from tuberculosis (TB) hospitalization is crucial to establish health policies. The objective of this study was to analyze outcomes and, secondarily, predictors of mortality following discharge from TB hospitalization. This was a prospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with TB (all forms) discharged from the hospital who began treatment during hospitalization.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of incident cases of COVID-19 in unvaccinated adult cystic fibrosis patients in southern Brazil: a prospective cohort study conducted during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: There is still limited information on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with COVID-19 in Brazil. The objective of this study was to describe the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in CF patients, as well as their clinical characteristics and outcomes.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study involving unvaccinated adult CF patients and conducted during the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the city of Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil.

Association of quality of life and disease control with cigarette smoking in patients with severe asthma.

More information is needed on asthma control and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in smokers with severe asthma. The main study objective was to characterize the association of HRQoL and disease control with cigarette smoking in individuals with severe asthma. A secondary objective was to analyze subject characteristics according to asthma onset: asthma that developed before smoking initiation versus asthma that developed after smoking initiation.

Clinical outcomes of cystic fibrosis patients with hemoptysis treated with bronchial artery embolization.

Objective: Massive hemoptysis is one of the most serious complications in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This study aimed to evaluate the hemoptysis-free period following bronchial and non-bronchial artery embolization (BAE/non-BAE) in CF patients and to investigate predictors of recurrent bleeding and mortality by any cause.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of CF patients ≥ 16 years of age undergoing BAE/non-BAE for hemoptysis between 2000 and 2017.

Predictive factors for premature birth and respiratory exacerbation in pregnancies of women with cystic fibrosis.

Objective: In this present study, the authors evaluated the predictive factors for adverse maternal-fetal outcomes in pregnancies of women with cystic fibrosis (CF). Patients were followed up by a referral center for adults in southern Brazil.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study that used data from electronic medical records regarding pregnancies of women diagnosed with CF.

Diagnosis of tuberculosis: a consensus statement from the Brazilian Thoracic Association.

Early, accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis is one of the major pillars of the control of the disease. The purpose of this consensus statement is to provide health professionals with the most current, useful evidence for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in Brazil. To that end, the Tuberculosis Committee of the Brazilian Thoracic Association brought together 14 members of the Association with recognized expertise in tuberculosis in Brazil to compose the statement.

Dyspnea perception during the inspiratory resistive loads test in obese subjects waiting bariatric surgery.

Identification of low dyspnea perception is relevant, since this condition is significantly associated with worse outcomes. We investigated dyspnea perception during the inspiratory resistive loads test on obese subjects waiting bariatric surgery in comparison with normal subjects. Secondarily, we analysed the proportion of obese subjects with low, moderate and high dyspnea perception.

Association between the radiological presentation and elapsed time for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in the emergency department of a university hospital.

Objective: To evaluate the radiological presentation of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed in the emergency department and to investigate its association with the time to diagnosis.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study involving patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis in the emergency department of a tertiary university hospital in southern Brazil. Chest X-rays taken on admission were evaluated by a radiologist.

Brazilian consensus on non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis is a condition that has been increasingly diagnosed by chest HRCT. In the literature, bronchiectasis is divided into bronchiectasis secondary to cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis not associated with cystic fibrosis, which is termed non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Many causes can lead to the development of bronchiectasis, and patients usually have chronic airway symptoms, recurrent infections, and CT abnormalities consistent with the condition.

Educational strategy intervention and remote supervision on the post-discharge management of tuberculosis diagnosed in the hospital: Randomized clinical trial.

Introduction: One of the most serious problems in TB control is non-adherence to treatment leading to the risk of drug resistance and subsequent treatment failure.

Objectives: To assess the impact of an educational strategy intervention and remote supervision on the post-discharge management of new cases of TB diagnosed in hospital on TB cure rate. Secondarily, to assess the impact of this intervention on default rate.

Association between anthropometric markers and asthma control, quality of life and pulmonary function in adults with asthma.

Background: The role of abdominal fat and body fat (BF) in the evaluation of nutritional status in asthma has been considered recently. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between different anthropometric markers and asthma control, pulmonary function and quality of life. A secondary objective was to determine the agreement between the anthropometric markers with respect to assessing obesity in adults with asthma.

Asthma control, lung function, nutritional status, and health-related quality of life: differences between adult males and females with asthma.

Objective: To evaluate health-related quality of life in asthma patients treated at a referral center in southern Brazil, identifying differences between male and female patients, as well as to evaluate differences between the males and females in terms of asthma control, lung function, and nutritional status.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving patients ≥ 18 years of age treated at an asthma outpatient clinic. We evaluated clinical parameters, lung function, nutritional status, and quality of life.

Influenza A non-H1N1 associated with acute respiratory failure and acute renal failure in a previously vaccinated cystic fibrosis patient.

In the 2014 - 2015 season, most influenza infections were due to A (H3N2) viruses. More than two-thirds of circulating A (H3N2) viruses are antigenically and genetically different (drifted) from the A (H3N2) vaccine component of 2014 - 2015 northern and southern Hemisphere seasonal influenza vaccines. The purpose of this paper is to report a case of seasonal influenza A non-H1N1 infection that occurred in June 2015 in an adult cystic fibrosis patient with severe lung disease previously vaccinated with the anti-flu trivalent vaccine.

Polymerase chain reaction test in induced sputum of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Introduction: Induced sputum (IS) is an alternative method of obtaining sputum, but IS smears are frequently negative. Culture is more time consuming in its results, and less useful to guide the diagnosis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most common methodology for rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), and few studies evaluated its role in IS samples.

Association between lung function, physical activity level and postural evaluation variables in adult patients with cystic fibrosis.

Introduction: With the evolution of the cystic fibrosis (CF) disease, the decline of lung function associated with metabolic disorders and malnutrition, causes alterations in respiratory mechanics, musculoskeletal disorders and thoracic deformities, bringing injury to the individual's quality of life.

Objective: To verify the association between lung function, physical activity level and postural evaluation variables in adults with CF.

Methods: All patients underwent clinical evaluation and spirometry.

Factors associated with malnutrition in adolescent and adult patients with cystic fibrosis.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of malnutrition in patients attending an adult cystic fibrosis (CF) program and to investigate the associations of malnutrition with the clinical characteristics of those patients.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving patients with clinically stable CF patients (16 years of age or older). The patients underwent clinical assessment, nutritional assessments, pulmonary function tests, and pancreatic function assessment.

Pulmonary hypertension as estimated by Doppler echocardiography in adolescent and adult patients with cystic fibrosis and their relationship with clinical, lung function and sleep findings.

Background: In cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, end stage of pulmonary disease is characterized by pulmonary hypertension (PH), hypoxemia, decrease in exercise tolerance, and sleep quality.

Objective: To evaluate the association between clinical, lung function, sleep quality, and polysomnographic variables with PH in CF patients aged 16 years or older.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 51 clinically stable CF patients underwent a clinical evaluation, an overnight polysomnography and answered sleep questionnaires (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Epworth sleepiness scale).