Attitudes toward and preparedness for lung transplantation among individuals with cystic fibrosis in the era of highly effective modulators.

Background: Outcomes for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) have improved due to highly effective modulator therapy (HEMT). However, lung transplant (LTx) remains an important treatment for people with advanced lung disease. This study assessed attitudes and knowledge about LTx in the HEMT era.

Protocol for a pragmatic trial testing a self-directed lifestyle program targeting weight loss among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (POWER Trial).

Background: Obesity comprises the single greatest reversible risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Despite the potential of lifestyle-based weight loss services to improve OSA severity and symptoms, these programs have limited reach. POWER is a pragmatic trial of a remote self-directed weight loss care among patients with OSA.

Lifestyle Intervention and Excess Weight in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): INSIGHT COPD Randomized Clinical Trial.

Being overweight or obese is common among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but whether interventions targeted at weight loss improve functional impairments is unknown. INSIGHT (Intervention Study in Overweight Patients with COPD) tested whether a pragmatic low-intensity lifestyle intervention would lead to better physical functional status among overweight or obese participants with COPD. The trial was a 12-month, multicenter, patient-level pragmatic clinical trial.

Sleep Testing and Mortality in a Propensity-matched Cohort of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Many advocate the application of propensity-matching methods to real-world data to answer key questions around obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) management. One such question is whether identifying undiagnosed OSA impacts mortality in high-risk populations, such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Assess the association of sleep testing with mortality among patients with COPD and a high likelihood of undiagnosed OSA.

Use of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor among cystic fibrosis lung transplant recipients.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung transplant (LT) recipients may warrant treatment with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) to improve extrapulmonary manifestations of CF. Our objectives were to identify reasons for prescribing ETI after LT and evaluate changes in body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c, hemoglobin, and liver enzymes.

Methods: This was an electronic health record-based cohort study, October 2019-September 2020, at 14 CF LT Consortium sites in North America.

Insights from Application of a Hierarchical Spatio-Temporal Model to an Intensive Urban Black Carbon Monitoring Dataset.

Existing regulatory pollutant monitoring networks rely on a small number of centrally located measurement sites that are purposefully sited away from major emission sources. While informative of general air quality trends regionally, these networks often do not fully capture the local variability of air pollution exposure within a community. Recent technological advancements have reduced the cost of sensors, allowing air quality monitoring campaigns with high spatial resolution.

Body Mass Index Recovery after Lung Transplant for Cystic Fibrosis.

Many lung transplant recipients with cystic fibrosis (CF) have low preoperative body mass index (BMI); however, post-transplant BMI recovery is not well understood. To evaluate BMI recovery (⩾18.5 kg/m) among CF lung transplant recipients with low preoperative BMI and to investigate the association of survival with BMI recovery.

Low body mass index as a barrier to lung transplant in cystic fibrosis.

Rationale: Low body mass index (BMI) may influence lung transplant decisions for patients with advanced cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease.

Objective: Determine whether patients with advanced CF lung disease and BMI ≤17 kg/m are less likely to be listed for lung transplant or have a higher risk of death without listing compared to those with higher BMI.

Methods: Using merged United Network for Organ Sharing and CF Foundation Patient Registries, we identified adults with onset of advanced lung disease (FEV ≤ 40% predicted) between May-2005 and December-2016.

Variability in azithromycin practices among lung transplant providers in the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Community.

Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) is the most important long-term complication after lung transplant (LTx), and clinical experience suggests significant variability in its management. We sought to capture azithromycin practices among LTx providers internationally. A survey was distributed via the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and completed by 103 respondents (15 countries).

Validation of the French 3-year prognostic score for death or lung transplant in the United States cystic fibrosis population.

In 2017, Nkam et al. published a prognostic score to predict death or lung transplant within 3 years among adult cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Their model was developed using French CF registry data and was subsequently validated in the Canadian CF registry.

A multi-institutional review of outcomes in biopsy-proven acute invasive fungal sinusitis.

Background: Acute invasive fungal sinusitis (AIFS) is a rare, aggressive infection occurring in immunocompromised patients. In this study we examined factors that affect survival in AIFS, and whether immune-stimulating therapies (IST) improve survival.

Methods: Pathology records of biopsy-proven AIFS were reviewed from 3 academic institutions from 1995 to 2016.