Switching to nebulised short acting bronchodilators does not increase the risk of arrhythmia in patients hospitalized with a COPD exacerbation.

If short acting β2-agonists and muscarinic antagonists (SABA/SAMA) may have proarrhythmic effects during acute COPD exacerbations (AECOPD) is still unknown. The primary objective of the study was to investigate the incidence of new onset arrhythmias in hospitalized patients shifted to SABA/SAMA during an AECOPD compared with continuing chronic inhaled therapy. Secondary objectives were to assess the clinical characteristics of patients shifted to SABA/SAMA and risk factors for arrhythmia.

Changes in quality of life and dyspnoea after hospitalization in COVID-19 patients discharged at home.

Background: To date, the effects of COVID-19 pneumonia on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and dyspnoea are unknown.

Methods: In a real-life observational study, 20 patients with COVID-19-related pneumonia received usual care plus erdosteine (300 mg twice daily) for 15 days after hospital discharge following local standard operating procedures. At discharge (T0) and on Day 15 (T1), participants completed the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale of dyspnoea during daily activity, the BORG scale for dyspnoea during exertion, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for dyspnoea at rest.

Rationale underlying the measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide in systemic sclerosis patients.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterised by tissue fibrosis leading to vascular injury. Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. A deficiency in basal NO production by the constitutive endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase may promote vasoconstriction and vascular wall thickening.

Usefulness of six-minute walk test in systemic sclerosis.

The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a standardised, feasible and reliable measure of sub-maximal exercise capacity that has never been fully validated in systemic sclerosis (SSc). A variety of data suggest that many non-pulmonary aspects of SSc contribute to the test results, thus blunting the ability of the 6MWT to measure changes in lung function. Sources of variability are a training effect, technician experience, subject encouragement, medication, other activities on day of testing, deconditioning and the effects of musculoskeletal conditions and pain.

Influence of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in the genesis of sleep disorders in fibromyalgia patients.

Objectives: Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterised by chronic musculoskeletal pain, autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction, and disturbed sleep. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of ANS dysfunction on the genesis of sleep disorders.

Methods: Fifty female FM patients and 45 healthy subjects matched for age, gender and body mass index underwent a clinical, polysomnographic and autonomic profile evaluation at rest and during a tilt test in order to determine muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), plasma catecholamine levels, and the spectral indices of cardiac sympathetic (LFRR) and vagal (HFRR) modulation computed by means of the spectrum analysis of RR during sleep.

Oxygen therapy in COPD patients with isolated nocturnal hypoxemia; comparison of quality of life and sleep between bronchitis and emphysema phenotype: A prospective observational study.

Background: COPD is a heterogeneous disease composed by two main phenotypes: bronchitis (COPDb) and emphysema (COPDe) with different clinical presentation, physiology, imaging, response to therapy and decline in lung function. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether nocturnal hypoxemic COPDb and COPDe have a different behaviour during sleep and the effect of nocturnal oxygen supplementation (nOLT).

Materials And Methods: 75 COPDb and 120 COPDe were enrolled.

A new approach to detect early lung functional impairment in very light smokers.

Purpose: The aim of our study is to investigate if lung carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) measured during effort is able to detect early respiratory functional impairment.

Methods: We enrolled 25 very light smokers and 20 healthy non smokers. Subjects underwent plethysmography, DLCO (single breath technique) and calculated effective pulmonary blood flow (Qc) by rebreathing method.

Impaired lung transfer factor in fibromyalgia syndrome.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether pulmonary diffusing capacity is impaired in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) as it is in those with other diseases characterised by autonomic nerve system (ANS) dysfunction such as type 1 diabetes.

Methods: Forty-five consecutive anti-nuclear antibody (ANA)-negative female Caucasian patients aged 50.1± 5.

Diffusing Pulmonary Capacity Measured During Effort: A Possible Early Marker of Pulmonary Involvement In Systemic Sclerosis.

Background: Interstitial lung involvement is common and potentially limits the quality of life in patients with systemic limited sclerosis (SScl).

Objectives: To study the lung carbon monoxide diffusion (DLCO) measured during effort in order to identify a possible subclinical impairment.

Methods: We enrolled 20 SScl patients without interstitial lung involement and 20 healthy controls.