Author summarizes 2014 studies that are highly relevant to pulmonary medicine
FRIDAY, May 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Articles relating to diffuse parenchymal lung disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, pulmonary diagnostics, and respiratory infections are included in a special update summary published online April 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Jess Mandel, M.D., from the University of California in San Diego, identified key studies published in 2014 that are highly relevant to the practice of pulmonary medicine.
Mandel included articles discussing beneficial therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which had previously eluded effective treatment. Another study described a select group of patients with severe asthma refractory to traditional therapies who may benefit from a monoclonal antibody-based therapy. For COPD, one trial demonstrated that inhaled corticosteroids may be withdrawn from treatment of some patients with stable disease, while a second trial demonstrated that azithromycin most effectively decreases acute exacerbations that necessitate antibiotics and glucocorticoids in certain subsets of patients. Low-dose computed tomography screening was reported to be cost-effective for lung cancer screening in appropriate patient groups. High sensitivity and specificity were reported in a meta-analysis of point-of-care ultrasonography for the diagnosis of acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema, when experienced operators perform the test. Finally, oseltamivir was found to be modestly effective for influenza treatment in adults, although adverse events were reported.
“This article summarizes important studies published in 2014 that have the potential to substantially influence the practice of pulmonary and internal medicine,” Mandel writes.
Mandel disclosed financial ties to the medical publishing industry.
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