Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pulmonology for February 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Nicotine Patches Don't Help Pregnant Women Stop Smoking
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of nicotine-replacement therapy to behavioral cessation support does not increase the rate of smoking abstinence in pregnant women, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Rapid Flu Tests Effective for Ruling In (But Not Out) Diagnosis
TUESDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Rapid influenza tests are useful for diagnosing influenza; and oral oseltamivir and inhaled zanamivir may be beneficial for the treatment of influenza, according to two reviews published online Feb. 27 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Abstract - Chartrand
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Abstract - Hsu
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Poor Asthma Control Prevalent in the United States
MONDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients with asthma who do not use controller medications have persistent disease, and among those patients who do use controller medications, few have well-controlled disease, according to a study published in the March issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
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WHO Criteria May Overestimate Fatality Rate for Avian Flu
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Based on cases in hospitalized patients confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the current estimated overall case fatality rate for H5N1 infection in humans is greater than 50 percent, but the stringent criteria for confirmation of the infection mean the actual fatality rate may be much lower, according to a meta-analysis published online Feb. 23 in Science.
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High VEGF Signaling Score Tied to Lung Cancer Prognosis
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- A high vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling score correlates with good prognosis in patients with early squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Maternal Flu Vaccine Improves Health of Unborn Child
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Vaccinating pregnant women against the influenza virus appears to have a significant positive effect on infant birth weight, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Replacing PPSV23 With PCV13 May Prevent More Pneumonia
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- A model shows that replacing the current 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) might prevent more pneumococcal disease, while remaining economically reasonable, according to a study published in the Feb. 22 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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MRI Alone Not Ideal in Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should not be used as a stand-alone test to diagnose pulmonary embolism (PE), according to a study published online Feb. 9 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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Smoking Bans Lead to Less, Not More, Smoking at Home
THURSDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Smoke-free legislation leads to less smoking in smokers' homes, not more, according to research published online Feb. 13 in Tobacco Control.
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Air Pollutant Exposure Tied to Increased Heart Attack Risk
TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Short-term exposure to all major air pollutants, except for ozone, is significantly associated with an increased risk of heart attack, according to a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Pollutant Exposure Tied to Cognitive Decline in Elderly
TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) (coarse PM: 2.5 to 10 µm in diameter [PM2.5-10] and fine PM: <2.5 µm in diameter [PM2.5]) is associated with faster cognitive decline in older women, according to a study published in the Feb. 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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New Staging System IDs cSCC Risk in Transplant Patients
TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The newly updated seventh edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system accurately predicts the risk of recurrence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in high-risk heart and lung transplant recipients, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Home O2 Reduces Hospital Admits in Pediatric Bronchiolitis
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Home oxygen (O2) is a safe and effective way to decrease hospital admissions in select pediatric patients with bronchiolitis, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in Pediatrics.
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Radiation Not Tied to Improved Survival in Advanced NSCLC
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) is not associated with improved survival for elderly patients with N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study published online Feb. 13 in Cancer.
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Recommended Exceeds Actual Sleep Duration for Children
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Historical trends suggest that children's recommended and actual sleep durations are decreasing over time, with recommended sleep duration consistently greater than actual sleep duration, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in Pediatrics.
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Heavy Soda Drinking Tied to Asthma, COPD
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Heavy consumption of soft drinks is linked to an increased risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published in the February issue of Respirology.
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Guidelines for VTE Prophylaxis in Nonsurgical Patients Issued
THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- New evidence-based clinical practice guidelines have been issued for the prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in nonsurgical patients; the guidelines have been published in a supplement to the February issue of CHEST.
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Reduced Caloric Nourishment Doesn't Reduce Ventilator Use
TUESDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Providing lower amounts of nutritional support does not reduce ventilator-free days, risk of death at 60 days, or infectious complications for critically ill patients with acute lung injury compared to providing full caloric nourishment, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Teen Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Cars Declines
MONDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in cars has significantly declined among middle school and high school students over the last decade, but approximately a quarter of nonsmoking students are still exposed, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in Pediatrics.
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Smoking Increases Progression Risk in Barrett's Esophagus
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with Barrett's esophagus who currently smoke have twice the risk of developing esophageal cancer compared with never smokers, according to a study published in the February issue of Gastroenterology.
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Decision Support Tools Help Optimize Acute PE Detection
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Implementing evidence-based clinical decision support (CDS) significantly improves the efficiency of computed tomographic (CT) angiography use to detect acute pulmonary embolism (PE) for patients presenting to an emergency department, according to a study published in the February issue of Radiology.
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