Effectiveness and Safety of Argon Plasma Coagulation in Patients with Haemoptysis Caused by an Endobronchial Malignancy.

Introduction: Patients with central neoplasms and haemoptysis show low survival rates. Symptom control without recurrence 48 h after bronchoscopic interventions may improve the prognosis of these patients. Bronchoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a useful technique for endobronchial management of haemoptysis in patients with central malignancies.

Long-term effects of pulmonary endarterectomy on pulmonary hemodynamics, cardiac function, and exercise capacity in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Long-term changes in exercise capacity and cardiopulmonary hemodynamics after pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) have been poorly described.

Methods: We analyzed the data from 2 prospective surgical CTEPH cohorts in Hammersmith Hospital, London, and Amsterdam UMC. A structured multimodal follow-up was adopted, consisting of right heart catheterization, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing before and after PEA.

SARS-CoV-2 infection sequelae on exercise response: persistent or reversible? A 2-year perspective.

https://bit.ly/3qFd97x.

Bronchoscopy in the post-acute phase of COVID-19: an observational study.

Background: Bronchoscopy is a useful technique adopted in the management of patients with COVID-19. 10-40% of COVID-19 survivors experience persistent symptoms. A comprehensive description of the utility and safety of bronchoscopy in the management of patients with COVID-19 sequelae is lacking.

Early outcomes of "low-risk" patients undergoing lung resection assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing: Single-institution experience.

Objective: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is currently recommended for all patients undergoing lung resection with either respiratory comorbidities or functional limitations. The main parameter evaluated is oxygen consumption at peak (VOpeak). Patients with VOpeak above 20 ml/kg/min are classified as low risk surgical candidates.

Interventional pulmonology techniques in lung transplantation.

Lung transplantation is a key therapeutic option for several end-stage lung diseases. Interventional pulmonology techniques, mostly bronchoscopy, play a key role throughout the whole path of lung transplantation, from donor evaluation to diagnosis and management of post-transplant complications. We carried out a non-systematic, narrative literature review aimed at describing the main indications, contraindications, performance characteristics and safety profile of interventional pulmonology techniques in the context of lung transplantation.

Long-term outcomes of combination biologic therapy in uncontrolled severe asthma: a case study.

Introduction: Treatment with biologics has significantly reduced the social and economic burden of severe asthma. However, some patients may still feature a suboptimal control of their symptoms while on therapy. In this subset of asthmatic patients, a benefit from a dual biologic therapy has sporadically been reported in literature.

Severity does not impact on exercise capacity in COVID-19 survivors.

Background: current data on the impact of acute illness severity on exercise capacity and ventilatory efficiency of COVID-19 survivors, evaluated at cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), are limited.

Methods: in this post-hoc analysis of our previous observational, prospective, cohort study on mechanisms of exercise intolerance in COVID-19 survivors, we aimed at evaluating the impact of acute COVID-19 severity on exercise capacity, pulmonary function testing (PFT) and chest computed tomography (CT) outcomes.

Results: we enrolled 75 patients (18 with mild-to-moderate disease, 18 with severe disease, and 39 with critical disease).

Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Interstitial Pneumonia Exhibit Pancreatic Hyperenzymemia and Not Acute Pancreatitis.

Objectives: Gastrointestinal manifestations of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) have been well established, but pancreatic involvement is under debate. Our aims were to evaluate the presence of acute pancreatitis in COVID-19 patients and to assess the frequency of pancreatic hyperenzymemia.

Methods: From April 1, 2020, to April 30, 2020, 110 consecutive patients (69 males, 41 females; mean age, 63.

Deconditioning as main mechanism of impaired exercise response in COVID-19 survivors.

https://bit.ly/3sI8e0Y

Distinct Mechanical Properties of the Respiratory System Evaluated by Forced Oscillation Technique in Acute Exacerbation of COPD and Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

Discriminating between cardiac and pulmonary dyspnea is essential for patients' management. We investigated the feasibility and ability of forced oscillation techniques (FOT) in distinguishing between acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD), and acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in a clinical emergency setting. We enrolled 49 patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) for dyspnea and acute respiratory failure for AECOPD, or ADHF, and 11 healthy subjects.

Vitamin D in SARS-CoV-2 patients with non-invasive ventilation support.

Background: Vitamin D (VitD) deficiency has been reported to be associated with respiratory tract infection. In this work we evaluated the concentration of VitD in COVID-19 patients experiencing acute respiratory infections of different levels of severity excluding those who underwent invasive respiratory support.

Methods: The levels of serum VitD and C-reactive protein (CRP) were analyzed in 118 consecutive hospitalized COVID-19 patients (74 male, 44 female), confirmed with rRT-PCR.

Natural history of incidental sporadic and tuberous sclerosis complex associated lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Lymphangioleiomyiomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease affecting women in childbearing age. A sporadic form (S-LAM) affecting previously healthy women, and a form associated with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC-LAM) are described. Some data suggested that TSC-LAM could be a milder disease compared to S-LAM.

The role of phenotype on ventilation and exercise capacity in patients affected by COPD: a retrospective study.

Background: The idea of phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has evolved in the last decades, and the importance of peculiar treatment strategies has now been acknowledged. Although dyspnea and exercise limitation are hallmarks of COPD, this aspect has never been fully explored in literature in terms of disease phenotype. The aim of the present study was to explore the relevance of clinical COPD phenotypes on exercise ventilation and maximal capacity.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and second-line pulmonary function tests to detect obstructive pattern in symptomatic smokers with borderline spirometry.

Background: The need for additional research on symptomatic smokers with normal spirometry has been recently emphasized. Albeit not meeting criteria for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis, symptomatic smokers may experience activity limitation, evidence of airway disease, and exacerbations. We, therefore, evaluated whether symptomatic smokers with borderline spirometry (post-bronchodilator FEV/FVC ratio between 5th to 20th percentile of predicted values) have pulmonary function abnormalities at rest and ventilatory constraints during exercise.