Trends in initial pharmacological COPD treatment in primary care (2010-2021): a population-based study using the PHARMO Data Network.

Background: Pharmacological treatment is a cornerstone of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management, with general practitioners providing the most care. However, the lack of data on prescribing trends in initial pharmacotherapy in primary care hinders the understanding of how scientific and technical developments impact patient care and may also perpetuate suboptimal practices. Hence, this study aims to analyze trends in the initial pharmacological treatment of newly diagnosed COPD patients in Dutch primary care from 2010 to 2021.

Clinical importance of patient-reported outcome measures in severe asthma: results from U-BIOPRED.

Rationale: Knowledge about the clinical importance of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in severe asthma is limited.

Objectives: To assess whether and to what extent asthma exacerbations affect changes in PROMS over time and asthma-specific PROMs can predict exacerbations in adult patients with severe asthma in usual care.

Methods: Data of 421 patients with severe asthma (62% female; mean age 51.

GOLD COPD Exacerbation History Categories and Disease Outcomes.

Importance: Previous exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ECOPD) are associated with future events. For more than a decade, patients at high risk have been defined as individuals with a history of 2 or more moderate ECOPD, 1 or more severe ECOPD, or both within 12 months, and treatments have been allocated accordingly, but these cutoffs lack validation.

Objectives: To validate ECOPD history categories by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and explore alternative cutoffs to estimate moderate and severe ECOPD and all-cause mortality in COPD.

Successful treatment of a persistent air leak with an endobronchial valve in a 17-year-old patient with necrotizing pneumonia.

Pleural empyema is a severe condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. Treatment usually consists of pleural drainage with chest tube or surgery, in combination with antimicrobial treatment. Severe pneumonia can evolve in a necrotizing pneumonia, given a higher susceptibility to the occurrence of bronchopleural fistulas with persistent air leaks.