Pulmonary rehabilitation improves sleep efficiency measured by actigraphy in poorly sleeping COPD patients.

Chronic insomnia is reported by up to 50% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. This may be attributable to several factors including nocturnal dyspnea, reduced physical activity, and less time outside. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is recommended in COPD to improve both physical and psychological conditioning.

Treatment failure and hospital readmissions in severe COPD exacerbations treated with azithromycin versus placebo - a post-hoc analysis of the BACE randomized controlled trial.

Background: In the BACE trial, a 3-month (3 m) intervention with azithromycin, initiated at the onset of an infectious COPD exacerbation requiring hospitalization, decreased the rate of a first treatment failure (TF); the composite of treatment intensification (TI), step-up in hospital care (SH) and mortality.

Objectives: (1) To investigate the intervention's effect on recurrent events, and (2) to identify clinical subgroups most likely to benefit, determined from the incidence rate of TF and hospital readmissions.

Methods: Enrolment criteria included the diagnosis of COPD, a smoking history of ≥10 pack-years and ≥ 1 exacerbation in the previous year.

Azithromycin during Acute Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations Requiring Hospitalization (BACE). A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.

Azithromycin prevents acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPDs); however, its value in the treatment of an AECOPD requiring hospitalization remains to be defined. We investigated whether a 3-month intervention with low-dose azithromycin could decrease treatment failure (TF) when initiated at hospital admission and added to standard care. In an investigator-initiated, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients who had been hospitalized for an AECOPD and had a smoking history of ≥10 pack-years and one or more exacerbations in the previous year were randomized (1:1) within 48 hours of hospital admission to azithromycin or placebo.

The Belgian trial with azithromycin for acute COPD exacerbations requiring hospitalization: an investigator-initiated study protocol for a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Long-term use of macrolide antibiotics is effective to prevent exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As risks and side effects of long-term intervention outweigh the benefits in the general COPD population, the optimal dose, duration of treatment, and target population are yet to be defined. Hospitalization for an acute exacerbation (AE) of COPD may offer a targeted risk group and an obvious risk period for studying macrolide interventions.

Knowledge of cervix cancer, human papilloma virus (HPV) and HPV vaccination at the moment of introduction of the vaccine in women in Belgium.

Aim: To test the knowledge of women, attending a gynecology clinic, on HPV, cervix cancer awareness and the knowledge and willingness to use HPV vaccine for themselves or their children.

Setting: Routine gynecological and obstetrical care with ambulatory service in a medium-sized general hospital in a small town in Belgium (Heilig Hart Hospital, Tienen).

Methods: Questionnaire to be filled out by 381 consecutive women while in the attendance room for consultation with one of the four gynecologists.