Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pulmonology for November 2007. 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.
Symptom Reporting System May Help Monitor Chemo Toxicity
FRIDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- A computerized system allowing lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy to report their symptoms offers a promising method for monitoring chemotherapy toxicity, according to research published in the Dec. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Ultrashort-Course Chemotherapy Cures Spinal Tuberculosis
THURSDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with spinal tuberculosis who undergo surgery and an ultrashort-course of chemotherapy for less than six months achieve a complete clinical cure with fewer complications than patients on longer chemotherapy regimens, according to a report in the November/December issue of The Spine Journal.
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Simple Techniques Can Control Respiratory Infections
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Handwashing, wearing gloves, gowns and masks, and isolation of infected people are effective measures for reducing the spread of respiratory tract infections, according to a review of studies published Nov. 27 in BMJ Online First.
Sports Participation Reduces Risk of Venous Thrombosis
TUESDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Regular participation in sports activities reduces the risk of venous thrombosis, researchers report in the November issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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Little Benefit of Lung Transplant for Cystic Fibrosis
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Lung transplantation prolongs survival in few children with cystic fibrosis and may even be harmful, according to a report in the Nov. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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FDA Warns About Potential Concerns with Chantix
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Due to reports of suicidal ideation and other concerns in patients who have taken Chantix (varenicline), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging health care providers to monitor behavior and mood changes in patients taking the smoking cessation medication.
PTSD Symptoms Strongly Associated with Asthma
THURSDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In men, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are independently associated with an increased risk of asthma, according to the results of a twin study published in the Nov. 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Female Heavy Smokers Have Increased Risk of Hypertension
THURSDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Female smokers are at increased risk of hypertension but the association is modest, according to research published in the Nov. 20 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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New Guidelines Issued for Cystic Fibrosis Drug Therapy
THURSDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A new set of practice guidelines for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, issued by the Pulmonary Therapies Committee of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, provides recommendations for or against more than a dozen drug therapies used in the maintenance of pulmonary function. The guidelines are published in the Nov. 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Protein Found at High Levels in Asthma Patients
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A protein that recognizes a polymer found in insects and worms is found at high levels in the serum and lungs of asthma patients and correlates with asthma severity, researchers report in the Nov. 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Lung Function Affected by Socioeconomic Status
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Research demonstrates a consistent inverse correlation between social class and lung function in children and adults, according to a report in the November issue of the journal Chest.
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Medications May Not Be Reason for Lung Patient Fractures
TUESDAY, Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) -- While an increased risk of bone fracture has been noted in patients with chronic lung disease who are treated with oral corticosteroids and inhaled short-acting beta-agonists, the risk may be attributable to the severity of the disease rather than the medication, researchers report in the November issue of the journal Chest.
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FDA Approves Agento Silver-Coated Endotracheal Tube
FRIDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The Agento endotracheal tube, which is coated with a thin layer of silver to help prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia, received approved Nov. 8 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Heart Rate Variability Increases in Sleep Apnea
THURSDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with congestive heart failure, sleep-disordered breathing causes an acute increase in heart rate variability, and obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea are associated with distinct patterns of heart rate variability, according to a report published in the November issue of Sleep.
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Caffeine Therapy Beneficial in Apnea of Prematurity
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- In very low birth weight infants with apnea of prematurity, caffeine therapy increases the odds of survival without neurodevelopmental disability at 18 to 21 months, according to a report published in the Nov. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Parent's Cancer Survival May Predict Child's Cancer Survival
MONDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- When a parent and a child both contract lung, colorectal, breast or prostate cancer, the post-diagnosis survival of the parent may predict the post-diagnosis survival of the child, researchers report in the November issue of The Lancet Oncology.
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Doctors Too Pessimistic About Pulmonary Disease Prognosis
FRIDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Clinicians have an overly pessimistic view of the prognosis for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma that could adversely affect their treatment options and ultimately their survival, according to research published online Nov. 1 in BMJ.
Immigrants with TB Not Driving Up TB Incidence
THURSDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Tuberculosis-infected immigrants to low-incidence host countries like Norway do not seem to cause increased transmission of the disease, researchers report in the November issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Study Explores Impact of Breast-Feeding on Lung Growth
THURSDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Longer breast-feeding appears to positively influence lung growth in children of non-asthmatic mothers, whereas breast-feeding in children of mothers with asthma is associated with impaired measures of lung function in later childhood, according to study findings published in the November issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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