Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pulmonology for May 2006. 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.
Total Pollen Level Declining in New York City Area
WEDNESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Levels of pollen from trees, grass and weeds have declined in the northern New Jersey-New York City metropolitan area since the early and mid-1990s, according to a study published in the May issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
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Multidetector CT Angiography Detects Pulmonary Embolism
WEDNESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Multidetector computed tomographic angiography (CTA) is a highly accurate technique to detect pulmonary embolism, and combining it with venous-phase imaging (CTA-CTV) provides a higher diagnostic sensitivity than CTA alone with a similar specificity, according to a study published in the June 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. However, the added benefit of CTV for detection of deep vein thromboses may not be enough to warrant the additional radiation, according to an editorial.
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Female Asthmatics More Likely to Be Hospitalized
TUESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Women account for a disproportionate share of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations, suggesting a need for improved ambulatory care strategies aimed at female patients, according to a study published in the May issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
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Imaging Technique May Detect Early Emphysema
TUESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- An imaging technique called diffusion-weighted hyperpolarized helium 3 magnetic resonance imaging (3He MRI) may detect early signs of emphysema more accurately than standard computed tomography, according to a study published in the June issue of Radiology.
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Coccidioidomycosis a Common Cause of Pneumonia
FRIDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- Coccidioidomycosis, or valley fever, is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in regions where Coccidioides fungi are endemic, such as Arizona, California, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico and in Central and South America, researchers report in the June issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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Cystic Fibrosis Patients Show Signs of Ovarian Dysfunction
THURSDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Hormonal changes characteristic of polycystic ovary syndrome observed in women with cystic fibrosis suggest the likelihood of ovary dysfunction associated with the disease, according to a report in the May issue of Fertility and Sterility.
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Combination Poultry Vaccine May Halt Avian Flu
WEDNESDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have developed a bivalent vaccine for use in poultry that protects against both Newcastle disease and avian flu, and may help prevent the spread of avian flu to humans, according to a report published online May 22 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Pulmonary-Artery Catheters Not Appropriate in Some Cases
MONDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- Pulmonary-artery catheters (PACs) should not be routinely used in patients with established acute lung injury, according to a study published online May 21 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings were released early to coincide with their presentation at the International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.
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Caffeine Therapy Effective in Apnea of Prematurity
WEDNESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Methylxanthines reduce the need for mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen in the first seven days of treatment in premature infants with very low birth weight (VLBW), according to a study in the May 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Advair Diskus, Serevent Diskus Product Labels Updated
WEDNESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- In response to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration public health advisory issued in November 2005, GlaxoSmithKline has updated the product labels for its Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate; salmeterol xinafoate) and Serevent Diskus (salmeterol xinafoate) to note that the medications may increase the risk of severe asthma episodes or death when severe episodes occur. GlaxoSmithKline has also issued new medication guides, according to an update published this week by the FDA.
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Simulation of Long-Haul Flight Does Not Alter Hemostasis
TUESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- The low blood-oxygen that occurs in conditions similar to those in a long-haul flight does not cause hemostasis changes in healthy individuals at low risk of developing venous thromboembolism, according to a report in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Lung Cancer Deaths Not Higher in Female Non-Smokers
TUESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Contrary to widely held views, the lung cancer death rate is not higher in female than in male never-smokers, but it may be higher in black female never-smokers than in white female never-smokers, according to a study in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Leflunomide Does Not Cause Interstitial Lung Disease
MONDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Reports that the disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) leflunomide causes interstitial lung disease (ILD) in rheumatoid arthritis patients appear to be unfounded, according to a study in the May issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Women with Lung Cancer Less Likely to Have COPD
FRIDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Women with newly diagnosed lung cancer are less likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than their male counterparts with lung cancer, according to a study published in the May issue of Chest. The findings suggest that screening for lung cancer in "high risk" patients, or those with COPD, may miss cases in women.
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H5N1 Avian Flu Vaccine Shows Promise in Trials
THURSDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- Phase I trials of a vaccine against the pathogenic avian influenza A virus H5N1 have shown that it is well-tolerated and produces an immune response sufficient for it to meet European vaccine licensing requirements, according to a study published online May 11 in The Lancet.
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FDA Approves New Smoking Cessation Drug
THURSDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Chantix, a smoking cessation drug made by Pfizer, Inc. The drug was given accelerated approval because its active ingredient, the new molecular entity varenicline tartrate, can help cigarette smokers kick the habit, according to an FDA statement.
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Fever Risk After Bronchoscopy No Higher for Elderly
THURSDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of fever and pneumonia after fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) is no higher in patients 70 or older than in younger patients, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Frivolous Claims Account for Small Fraction of Costs
WEDNESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of resources involved in malpractice claims go toward resolving and paying those that involve errors, indicating it may be more cost-effective to streamline claims processing rather than discourage claims, according to a study in the May 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Inhaled Corticosteroids Don't Prevent Asthma Development
WEDNESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- In infants and young children at high risk for asthma, inhaled corticosteroid therapy does not modify the subsequent development of asthma, nor the progression from episodic to persistent wheezing, according to a pair of studies in the May 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Novel Heat Mask Effective for Exercise-Induced Asthma
WEDNESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- A novel heat exchanger mask is as effective as albuterol pretreatment in blocking the decline of lung function in cold exercise-induced asthma, according to a study published in the May issue of Chest.
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Alcoholism a Risk Factor for S. pneumoniae
WEDNESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Alcoholism is an independent risk factor for contracting community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), according to a study published in the May issue of Chest.
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Causes of Cough Differ in Adults and Children
WEDNESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- The management of chronic cough should be approached differently in adults and children because the causes of cough are so different between the two groups of patients, according to a study published in the May issue of Chest.
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High-Dose Corticosteroids May Increase Stroke Risk
TUESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Patients undergoing high-dose corticosteroid therapy are at increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), therefore increasing their risk of stroke, according to a study in the May 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Lung Cancer Outcomes Better in Never-Smokers
MONDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Never-smokers with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) respond better to treatment and have improved overall survival compared to NSCLC patients with a smoking history, according to a study published online April 24 in the journal Cancer.
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Pulmonary Illnesses Linked to Boot Waterproofing Spray
MONDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials are evaluating the safety of boot sealants after 172 people and 19 pets in five states developed respiratory symptoms after exposure to boot waterproofing agents in 2005 and early 2006, according to a report in the May 5 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Virus Plus Allergen Equals Asthma Hospitalization
FRIDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Children with asthma who have a viral infection and are highly exposed to a sensitizing allergen are nearly 20 times as likely to be hospitalized for acute asthma than other asthmatic children, according to a report in the May issue of Thorax.
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Quality Control for Home Ventilators Inadequate
FRIDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- The actual settings on home mechanical ventilators sometimes differ from the prescribed settings, and alarms sometimes do not work, according to a report in the May issue of Thorax.
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Asthmatic Adults Consume Less Fruit and Vitamin C
THURSDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with asthma consume fewer fruits and antioxidants such as vitamin C than their healthy counterparts, according to a study published in the May issue of Thorax. Diet may be a modifiable risk factor for asthma, the report indicates.
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