Acute exacerbations of COPD (ECOPD) are an important event in the life of a COPD patient as it causes significant deterioration of physical, mental, and social health, hastens disease progression, increases the risk of dying and causes a huge economic loss. Preventing ECOPD is therefore one of the most important goals in the management of COPD. Before the patient is discharged after hospitalization for ECOPD, it is crucial to offer an evidence-based care bundle protocol that will help minimize the future risk of readmissions and death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis narrative review describes pneumococcal serotype prevalence for invasive disease and carriage and antibiotic resistance among specimens collected from children in countries across South and Southeast Asia from 2012 to 2024. Literature search retrieved 326 articles; 96 were included. The prevalence of pneumococcal serotypes varied geographically and over time after introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent bronchiectasis studies from large-scale multinational, multicentre registries have demonstrated that the characteristics of the disease vary according to geographic region. However, most perspectives on bronchiectasis are dominated by data from Western countries. This review intends to provide an Asian perspective on the disease, focusing on the established registries in India, Korea and China.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLung cancer (LC) has the highest rate of disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of all cancers in India. A large majority of patients with LC present with advanced disease, resulting in poor survival rates. Early diagnosis can improve survival outcomes as the patients can be treated with curative intent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: In this document, 9 Indian experts have evaluated the factors specific to LMICs when it came to Severe Asthma (SA) diagnosis, evaluation, biologic selection, non-biologic treatment options, and follow-up.
Data Sources: A search was performed using 50 keywords, focusing on the Indian/LMICs perspective, in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. The key areas of the search were focused on diagnosis, phenoendotyping, non-biological therapies, selecting a biologic, assessment of treatment response, and management of exacerbation.
Pleural effusion is a common problem in our country, and most of these patients need invasive tests as they can't be evaluated by blood tests alone. The simplest of them is diagnostic pleural aspiration, and diagnostic techniques such as medical thoracoscopy are being performed more frequently than ever before. However, most physicians in India treat pleural effusion empirically, leading to delays in diagnosis, misdiagnosis and complications from wrong treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedical Thoracoscopy (MT) is commonly performed by respiratory physicians for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes. The aim of the study was to provide evidence-based information regarding all aspects of MT, both as a diagnostic tool and therapeutic aid for pulmonologists across India. The consensus-based guidelines were formulated based on a multistep process using a set of 31 questions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn comparison to the worldwide burden of asthma, although India contributes to 13% of the total asthma prevalence, it has a threefold higher mortality rate and more than twofold higher DALYs, indicating a substantial gap in asthma diagnosis and treatment. Asthma causes significant suffering, affecting people's quality of life and draining the country's resources; therefore, we must devise ways and means to fill these gaps. The most successful and cost-efficient strategy to battle asthma is to form strong partnerships between patients, the general public, the government, the pharmaceutical industry and non-governmental organisations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTuberculosis (TB) is a preventable, treatable, and curable disease. However, in 2020, 9∙9 million people were estimated to have developed tuberculosis, and 1.5 million people were estimated to have died from it.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCough is the body's reflex when the throat or airway is irritated by a foreign body, such as irritants, microbes, and fluids. Cough caused due to a disorder or infection can last for a few days to a couple of weeks and is usually self-limiting and self-resolving. However, in certain cases, cough can persist for months, disrupting everyday activities, affecting the patient's mental health, and causing pain and fatigue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver the past decade, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has become an indispensable tool in the diagnostic armamentarium of the pulmonologist. As the expertise with EBUS-TBNA has evolved and several innovations have occurred, the indications for its use have expanded. However, several aspects of EBUS-TBNA are still not standardized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClimate change and environmental factors such as air pollution and loss of biodiversity are known to have a major impact not only on allergic diseases but also on many noncommunicable diseases. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in many environmental changes during the different phases of the pandemic. The use of face masks, enhanced hand hygiene with hand rubs and sanitizers, use of personal protective equipment (gowns and gloves), and safe-distancing measures, reduced the overall incidence of respiratory infections and other communicable diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The use of nebulizers is an important and useful method for delivering drugs to the lungs in patients with various airway and lung parenchymal disorders. They are primarily used in patients with acute symptoms and in a selected group of patients for maintenance treatment. Its use has increased, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor most patients, asthma can be effectively managed using inhaled medications. However, patients who have severe and/or uncontrolled asthma, or who experience exacerbations, may require systemic corticosteroids (SCSs) to maintain asthma control. Although SCS are highly effective in this regard, even modest exposure to these medications can increase the risk for long-term, adverse health outcomes, such as type 2 diabetes, renal impairment, cardiovascular disease and overall mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAllergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a lung disorder caused by immune-mediated reactions mounted against Aspergillus fumigatus. The disorder most commonly complicates the course of patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis. From its first description in 1952, significant advances have been made in understanding the pathogenesis and the diagnosis and treatment of ABPA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: After admission to hospital, COVID-19 progresses in a substantial proportion of patients to critical disease that requires intensive care unit (ICU) admission.
Methods: In a pragmatic, non-blinded trial, 387 patients aged 40-90 years were randomised to receive treatment with SoC plus doxycycline (n = 192) or SoC only (n = 195). The primary outcome was the need for ICU admission as judged by the attending physicians.
This expert group consensus statement emphasises the need for standardising the definition of progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (F-ILDs), with an accurate initial diagnosis being of paramount importance in ensuring appropriate initial management. Equally, case-by-case decisions on monitoring and management are essential, given the varying presentations of F-ILDs and the varying rates of progression. The value of diagnostic tests in risk stratification at presentation and, separately, the importance of a logical monitoring strategy, tailored to manage the risk of progression, are also stressed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInhaled corticosteroid and ultra-long-acting beta-agonist (ICS/uLABA) combination is a recent advancement in the armamentarium against obstructive airways diseases (OADs). The combination of ICS/uLABA has several advantages, creating a favorable landscape for its utilization. Fluticasone furoate/vilanterol trifenatate (FF/Vi) is one such example of an ICS/uLABA.
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