Suggestions for lung function testing in the context of COVID-19.

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is currently a challenge worldwide. Due to the characteristics of lung function tests, the risk of cross infection may be high between health care workers and patients. The role of lung function testing is well defined for the diagnosis of various diseases and conditions.

COPD management as a model for all chronic respiratory conditions: report of the 4 Consensus Conference in Respiratory Medicine.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) kill 40 million people each year. The management of chronic respiratory NCDs such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is particularly critical in Italy, where they are widespread and represent a heavy burden on healthcare resources. It is thus important to redefine the role and responsibility of respiratory specialists and their scientific societies, together with that of the whole healthcare system, in order to create a sustainable management of COPD, which could become a model for other chronic respiratory conditions.

Long-term clinical stabilization of scleroderma patients treated with a chronic and intensive IV iloprost regimen.

Intravenous iloprost is a first-line option for the treatment of scleroderma-related digital vasculopathy, and some studies have suggested its favourable role on disease progression. The aim of our study is to evaluate the disease progression, specifically in terms of cardiopulmonary function, in a group of consecutive patients chronically treated with intravenous iloprost. Our retrospective study enrolled 68 scleroderma patients (68 F, 54.

Endoscopic stenting for double bronco-pleural fistula after lobectomy.

Bronchial fistula is one of the most serious complications after pulmonary resection. It presents a challenge in terms of treatment, with a high risk of perioperative mortality. We describe a patient who underwent a right upper lobectomy and systematic hilar-mediastinal lymphadenectomy for lung adenocarcinoma complicated by 2 bronchopleural fistulas.