Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pulmonology for September 2011. 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.
Doctors, Patients Identify Tacit Clues in Their Interactions
FRIDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Both doctors and patients identify tacit clues as well as judgments based on these clues during video elicitation interviews of health maintenance examinations, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
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Surfactants Feasible for Self-Breathing Preterm Infants
FRIDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Application of surfactant to spontaneously breathing preterm infants stabilized with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is feasible, and reduces the need for mechanical ventilation, according to a study published online Sept. 30 in The Lancet.
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Smoking Rates for Working Adults Down, but Not Enough
THURSDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Workplace initiatives to reduce smoking have succeeded to some degree, but certain groups of working adults are still smoking at rates much higher than the Healthy People 2010 target of 12 percent or lower, according to research published in the Sept. 30 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Surveillance Info Sheds Light on Utah's Influenza Patterns
THURSDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The United States was hard hit by the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus, and Utah experienced a particularly high proportion of severe illness compared with previous influenza seasons, particularly among certain subsets of the population, according to research published in the Sept. 30 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Illness Associated With HEV68 Seen in Clusters Globally
THURSDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Human enterovirus 68 (HEV68), rarely reported since it was first identified in the early 1960s, has recently been seen in disease clusters around the world, according to research published in the Sept. 30 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Cytisine More Effective Than Placebo for Smoking Cessation
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Cytisine is more effective for smoking cessation than a placebo, with a better 12-month abstinence rate and seven-day point prevalence of abstinence, according to a study published in the Sept. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Child Face Mask Approved to Help Prevent Spread of Germs
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A child-size, single-use face mask to help prevent the spread of germs in hospitals and other health care settings has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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U.S. Docs Feel They Give More Patient Care Than Required
TUESDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Many primary care physicians in the United States believe that their patients are receiving too much medical care, and that the pressure to do more than is necessary could be reduced by malpractice reform, adjusting financial incentives, and spending more time with patients, according to a study published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Reasons for Referral to Specific Docs Differ Among Physicians
TUESDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Primary care physicians (PCPs) and medical and surgical specialists differ in their reasons for selecting specific colleagues for referrals, with PCPs more concerned about physician communication and medical record sharing than specialists, according to a study published online Sept. 16 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Asthma Prevalence Elevated in Youth With Diabetes
TUESDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Asthma is more prevalent in youth with diabetes compared to the general U.S. population, and is associated with poor glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes, especially if untreated, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in Pediatrics.
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GLCCI1 SNP Lowers Response to Inhaled Steroids in Asthma
MONDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Expression of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at rs37973 correlates with decreased glucocorticoid-induced transcript 1 gene (GLCCI1) expression, which is associated with a reduced response to inhaled glucocorticoids in patients with asthma, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with late-breaking presentations at the European Respiratory Society Congress, held from Sept. 24 to 28 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Rate of Change of FEV1 Highly Variable in COPD Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of change of forced expiratory volume in 1-second (FEV1) is highly variable among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published online Sept. 26 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with late-breaking presentations at the European Respiratory Society Congress, held from Sept 24 to 28 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Many Cushing Syndrome-EAS Tumors Found in Chest Cavity
FRIDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with Cushing syndrome (CS) secondary to ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion (EAS) who attend a comprehensive cancer center, nearly 50 percent have tumors in the chest cavity, notably bronchial carcinoid and small-cell lung cancer, according to a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of Cancer.
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Teen Exposure to Smoking in Films Ups Smoking Behaviors
THURSDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Adolescents with higher exposure to smoking depictions in films are more likely to initiate smoking and be current smokers, even after adjusting for social, family, and behavioral confounders, according to a study and meta-analysis published online Sept. 19 in Thorax.
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Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Safe, Effective in Pulmonary Fibrosis
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, treatment with 150 mg of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor BIBF 1120 twice daily is safe, reduces lung function decline with fewer acute exacerbations, and preserves quality of life, according to a study published in the Sept. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Mortality Up in Hospitals With More Minority Trauma Patients
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The odds of in-hospital mortality for trauma patients are associated with the proportion of minority patients in the hospital, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in the Archives of Surgery.
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Preterm Birth Ups Mortality Risk in Young Adulthood
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Low gestational age at birth is associated with increased mortality in young adulthood, according to a study published in the Sept. 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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F1+2, VEGF, D-Dimer Levels Up in Nonallergic Asthma
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with nonallergic asthma exhibit autoreactivity as well as increased levels of coagulation and angiogenesis markers, according to a study published in the October issue of Allergy.
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Exposure to Air Pollution Found to Up Transient Risk of MI
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Short-term exposure to particles with a diameter <10 µm (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air is associated with a short-term increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) one to six hours later, according to a study published online Sept. 20 in BMJ.
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Payer Status Affects Health Care Quality and Outcomes
TUESDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with heart failure who have no insurance, or have Medicaid or Medicare, have lower quality of care and worse outcomes than those with private/health maintenance organization (HMO) insurance, according to a study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Work Intensity Similar Across Physician Specialties
MONDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The level of physician work intensity appears to be similar among specialties, with variations in the specific dimensions of stress, physical demands, performance, and temporal demand, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Medical Care.
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CDC Finds That Lung Cancer Incidence Is Beginning to Fall
THURSDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of lung cancer in the United States is beginning to decrease for women and has decreased substantially for men in the last decade, most rapidly in states with fewer smokers, according to research published in the Sept. 16 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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No Benefit of Long-Term Azithromycin for Rhinosinusitis
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with persistent chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), low-dose, long-term treatment with azithromycin (AZM) for 11 weeks offers no significant benefit, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in Allergy.
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Many Mistakenly Believe FDA OKs Only Safe, Effective Drugs
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of the U.S. public mistakenly believes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves only effective and safe drugs, but providing consumer explanations can lead to better drug choices, according to a study published in the Sept. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Current Smoking Tied to Higher Risk of Hodgkin's Lymphoma
TUESDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Current cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk of developing Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), with an elevated risk for men and older individuals, which increases with intensity and duration of smoking, according to a meta-analysis published online Sept. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Climate Change Model Predicts Increase in Childhood Asthma
MONDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Global-to-regional climate and atmospheric chemistry models predict an increase of 7.3 percent in emergency department presentations for regional summer ozone-related asthma in children aged 0 to 17 years across the New York City metropolitan region by the 2020s, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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Persistent Asthma Diagnosis Tied to Late-Preterm Birth
MONDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Late preterm birth is correlated with an increased diagnosis of persistent asthma, use of inhaled corticosteroids, and more acute respiratory visits, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in Pediatrics.
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Low-Dose CT Feasible for Measuring Lung Nodules
FRIDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Low-dose computed tomography (CT) is feasible for detecting lung nodules with CT reader sensitivity affected more by nodule density and volume than CT dose, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
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About One in Four Adults at Risk of Physician-Diagnosed COPD
FRIDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Lifetime risk of physician-diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is 27.6 percent, and is higher among men, rural inhabitants, and those with a lower socioeconomic status, according to a study published Sept. 10 in the special European Respiratory Society issue of The Lancet.
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No Sustainable Benefits Seen for Airway Bypass in Emphysema
FRIDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Airway bypass offers no sustainable benefits for patients with severe homogeneous emphysema, according to a study published Sept. 10 in the special European Respiratory Society issue of The Lancet.
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Loci in ILR6, Chromosome 11q13.5 Tied to Asthma Risk
FRIDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Two genetic loci in the interleukin-6 receptor (ILR6) gene and on chromosome 11q13.5 near the leucine-rich repeat containing 32 gene (LRRC32) are associated with asthma risk; and a validated exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) treatment algorithm reduces asthma exacerbations in pregnant women, according to two studies published Sept. 10 in the special European Respiratory Society issue of The Lancet.
Abstract - Ferreira
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Trends in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Seasonality Reported
THURSDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In most of the United States, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season starts in the fall and continues through early spring, but more specific timing varies regionally; an understanding of seasonal trends can help guide decision making around diagnostic testing and the administration of prophylaxis, according to a report published in the Sept. 9 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Smoking Ups Postmenopausal Sex Hormone Levels
THURSDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women who smoke have increased levels of androgens, estrogens, 17-hydroxprogesterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), according to a study published online Aug. 10 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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Comparative Efficacy Proposed for European Drug Approval
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- New drugs should be compared with existing treatments instead of placebo before their approval in Europe, according to a report published online Sept. 6 in the BMJ.
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Odds of Board Certification Vary in New Doctors
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Certification of recent U.S. medical school graduates by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) varies across specialties by educational and demographic factors, according to a study published in the Sept. 7 medical education-themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Medical Students Show Racial, Cultural Patient Preference
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Medical students may have a preferential bias toward whites and wealthier patients, but this does not appear to influence their clinical decision making or physician-patient interactions, according to a study published in the Sept. 7 medical education-themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Many Hospital Staff Uniforms Contaminated With Bacteria
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- More than 60 percent of hospital staff uniforms are contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria, including drug-resistant species, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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Training Protocols Do Not Affect Ventilation Knowledge
TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- For first-time examinees of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), training in a high-intensity ventilator protocol environment does not correlate with worse knowledge about mechanical ventilation management compared to training in a low-intensity environment, according to a study published in the Sept. 7 medical education-themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Prevalence of U.S. Smokers Down Substantially Since 2005
TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Adult cigarette smoking in the United States has decreased since 2005, particularly among heavy smokers; there is still, however, room for improvement, according to a report published in the Sept. 6 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Imbalance in Enzyme Activity Linked to ARDS in Animal Model
TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- In acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), there is an increase in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, and a decrease in counter-regulatory enzyme ACE2 activity, and this imbalance between ACE and ACE2 can be restored by a protease-resistant, cyclic form of angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) (cAng-[1-7]), according to an experimental study published online Aug. 18 in the Journal of Pathology.
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Flu Diagnostic Kit Approved
FRIDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A kit to diagnose human infections with seasonal influenza viruses and novel influenza A viruses with pandemic potential has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Researchers Ponder 9/11 Health Impact a Decade Later
FRIDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- It may be too early to tell how much of an impact the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster and its immediate aftermath had on those exposed, but cancer, death, mental and physical disorders, and spirometric abnormalities appear higher in people who received greater levels of exposure, according to three studies published in the 9/11-themed Sept. 3 issue of The Lancet.
Abstract - Zeig-Owens
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Lower Sleep-Time BP Indicates Reduced Cardiovascular Risk
FRIDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The asleep blood pressure mean, determined by ambulatory monitoring, independently predicts cardiovascular risk, with a progressive decrease in asleep blood pressure predicting a significantly reduced cardiovascular risk, according to a study published in the Sept. 6 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Insomnia Tied to Considerable Workplace Costs in the U.S.
THURSDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Insomnia is associated with substantial workplace costs in the United States, and is significantly associated with presenteeism, but not absenteeism, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of SLEEP.
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NPe6 May Beat Photofrin Photodynamic Therapy in Lung CA
THURSDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- NPe6-photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a better treatment for patients with lung cancer than photofrin-PDT, and the efficacy of PDT may improve based on individual expression status of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and breast cancer-resistant protein (BCRP), according to a study published online Aug. 23 in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
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