Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: new insights on functional characteristics at diagnosis.

Background: The lung function of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has not been characterized in detail. objective: To characterize the heterogeneous physiological abnormalities that exist in patients with IPF during their initial clinical evaluation.

Methods: Lung function tests from 93 patients, performed within six months of the initial diagnosis of IPF, were obtained from a referral pulmonary function laboratory at a tertiary care hospital in Canada.

Flock worker's lung disease: natural history of cases and exposed workers in Kingston, Ontario.

Background: The natural history of flock worker's lung (FWL) and longitudinal lung function changes in nylon flock-exposed workers have not been well characterized.

Methods: Symptoms, pulmonary function testing, and chest radiographs from five index cases, subsequent case referrals, and screened employees of a flocking plant in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, were compared and analyzed for changes over time (variable follow-up intervals between 1991 and 2011).

Results: Nine cases and 30 flock-exposed workers without FWL were identified.

Effects of BMI on static lung volumes in patients with airway obstruction.

Background: Both chronic airway obstruction and obesity are increasing in prevalence but the effect of their combination on pulmonary function parameters across the range of airway obstruction is unknown.

Methods: We studied the impact of increasing BMI on static lung volumes and airway function in a cohort of 2,265 subjects from a large pulmonary function laboratory database who were 40 to 80 years of age and met GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) spirometric criteria for COPD (postbronchodilator FEV₁/FVC < 0.7).

Lung hyperinflation and its reversibility in patients with airway obstruction of varying severity.

The natural history of lung hyperinflation in patients with airway obstruction is unknown. In particular, little information exists about the extent of air trapping and its reversibility to bronchodilator therapy in those with mild airway obstruction. We completed a retrospective analysis of data from individuals with airway obstruction who attended our pulmonary function laboratory and had plethysmographic lung volume measurements pre- and post-bronchodilator (salbutamol).

Massive pulmonary hemorrhage from dual circulation pulmonary arteriovenous malformations in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are commonly supplied by the pulmonary arterial system and rarely by the systemic bronchial circulation. The authors outline the case of a young woman with pulmonary AVMs as part of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia with the uncommon presentation of massive hemoptysis. Management of her recurrent, life-threatening pulmonary hemorrhage was complicated by pulmonary AVMs that were supplied by both the pulmonary and systemic bronchial arterial circulatory systems.

Response of lung volumes to inhaled salbutamol in a large population of patients with severe hyperinflation.

Objectives: Current criteria use FEV(1) to assess bronchodilator responsiveness, despite its insensitivity and inability to predict improvement in symptoms or exercise tolerance. Response in lung volumes remains largely unexplored even though volume parameters, such as inspiratory capacity (IC), closely correlate with functional improvements. Therefore, we assessed the response of lung volumes (i.