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Pulmonology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in pulmonology.

Illegal Drug Use Common Among Hookah Smokers

Young adults who smoke tobacco from a water pipe, or hookah, are more likely to use illicit drugs, a cross-sectional Canadian study showed.

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome May Warn of Apnea

When physicians see a patient with floppy eyelid syndrome, they should also screen for obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, new research has shown.

Cigar and Pipe Smoking Hurts Lungs

Pipe and cigar smoking are linked to health impacts similiar to those seen with cigarette smoking, researchers found.

The Top 10 Medical Advances of the Decade

From genome to hormones, doctors pick the top medical advances of the decade.

Asthmatic Smokers' Lungs Recover when They Quit

Asthmatic smokers who quit the habit can reverse lung damage that exacerbates their breathing difficulties, regardless of how long and how often they smoked in the past, a new study found.

CDC Watching H1N1 Mutation, but No Cause for Alarm

The CDC is keeping a careful eye on a mutation in some strains of the pandemic H1N1 flu that Norwegian researchers isolated from three patients with severe disease.

IDSA: Retracted Mask Study Adds to H1N1 Confusion

PHILADELPHIA -- For workers on the front lines of the H1N1 pandemic flu, the retraction of a study on protective masks adds to the confusion over how to guard against infection, experts said.

Obama Declares H1N1 a National Emergency

WASHINGTON -- President Obama has upped the ante in the battle to control the H1N1 flu by declaring it a national emergency, the second such declaration since the flu first emerged last spring.

Drop in Oxygen Saturation in Apnea Tied to Obesity

Obese patients may experience more severe blood oxygen desaturation during apnea and hypopnea events, researchers say.

Unmasking the Surgical Mask: Does It Really Work?

For a century, the surgical mask has been the symbol of a safe and sanitary medical environment. The problem is that researchers don't really know if that's true.

ICAAC: Surgical Masks Don't Prevent Infection

SAN FRANCISCO -- Consistent use of N95 respirator masks prevents 75% of respiratory infections for high-risk healthcare workers regardless of whether seal against the skin is confirmed, according to the first randomized clinical trial of their efficacy.

Pseudo-Outbreak of Legionnaire's Blamed on Bad Ice

Using nonsterile ice to cool saline-filled syringes for bronchoalveolar lavage creates a risk of Legionnaire's disease, the CDC said.

Rapid Tests Miss Mark for Pandemic H1N1 Flu

Rapid tests for the H1N1 pandemic flu are at least 89% accurate -- but only if a tested specimen has a high level of the virus, the CDC said.

Little Cancer Risk With 'Chew'

LITTLE FALLS, N.J. -- Smokeless tobacco does not increase the user's risk of cancers other than oropharyngeal and prostate cancer, according to an industry-sponsored review of data from 89 studies.

ATS: CPAP Effective in Mild Sleep Apnea

SAN DIEGO -- Even in patients with only mild obstructive sleep apnea, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) improves daily function and reduces daytime sleepiness, a researcher said here.

IVW: 'High Risk' of Resistant Swine Flu, Researcher Says

CANNES, France -- Using single antiviral drugs to treat the current outbreak of swine influenza could result in the development of a resistant strain, a leading flu researcher said here.

Eating Can Be Risky Business for COPD Patients

PITTSBURGH -- Poor coordination between swallowing and breathing in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may increase risk of aspiration pneumonia and exacerbations, researchers warned.

Doctors Hear Gripes About HFA Inhalers

WASHINGTON -- Some asthma patients say the new HFA-propelled inhalers aren't as effective as their CFC counterparts. Physician education may help allay patient fears, but some patient advocates say post-transition follow-up studies are in order.

Data Misreported in Studies of CT Lung Cancer Screening

NEW YORK -- Key data were incorrectly reported in two recent publications by the International Early Lung Cancer Action Project (I-ELCAP), according to the investigators, possibly undermining their positive conclusions.

Smoking May Increase Bleeding Risk After Type of Tonsillectomy

TACOMA, Wash. -- Post-tonsillectomy smoking nearly doubles the risk of hemorrhage, but it appears limited to patients who have uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, investigators here reported.

Ginseng Safe for Short-Term Pediatric Use

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Ginseng appears safe for treating children with cold and flu symptoms, researchers here found.

Denufosol Improves Airway Function in Cystic Fibrosis

DURHAM, N.C. -- The investigational cystic fibrosis drug denufosol significantly improved large airway function in a randomized placebo-controlled phase III trial, drugmaker Inspire Pharmaceuticals announced today.

ASCO: Platinum-Taxane Regimen No Benefit for Thymoma or Thymic Carcinoma

CHICAGO -- For treatment-naive advanced thymoma or thymic carcinoma, carboplatin (Paraplatin) and paclitaxel (Taxol) failed to achieve response rates approaching those reported in published trials of athracycline-based regimens.

False-Positive TB Skin Tests Prevalent in U.S. Army

BETHESDA, Md. -- Clusters of positive tests for latent tuberculosis infection in the U.S. Army appear to reflect a high number of false-positive readings from a more than century-old skin test, researchers found.

Seasonal Flu Starts in Asia and Migrates Throughout World

CAMBRIDGE, England -- Seasonal influenza starts in east and southeast Asia and follows a highly predictable path to infect the rest of the world, researchers here said.

AAAAI: New Antihistamine Nasal Spray Works and Tastes Better

PHILADELPHIA -- Olopatadine in nasal spray form may provide an option to azelastine (Astelin) for seasonal allergic rhinitis, a researcher said here.

Radiologists Take FDA Warning on Lung Ablation in Stride

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA's recent warning about deaths caused by radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors was more a note of caution than a mortal blow to the procedure, said interventional radiologists experienced with the technique.

Lung Cancer Risk of One Marijuana Joint a Day Equals Daily Pack of Cigarettes

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Smoking a single marijuana joint may be as carcinogenic to the lung as 20 tobacco cigarettes, researchers here calculated.

Antibiotics and Steroids Ineffective in Sinus Infection

SOUTHAMPTON, England -- Amoxicillin and nasal budesonide were no more effective than placebo in treating acute sinus infections, researchers here found.

AHA: Some Statins May Disrupt Sleep

ORLANDO -- If patients taking simvastatin (Zocor) develop sleep disturbances, changing statins may be a good idea, researchers suggested here.

One Cannabis Joint Equals Smoking Up to Five Cigarettes

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Smoking a single marijuana joint by a heavy user can cause bronchial damage similar to smoking 2.5 to five cigarettes, researchers reported.

CF Death Prompts FDA Alert on Nebulized Liquid Colisthemethate

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The death of cystic fibrosis patient had led the FDA to alert physicians about the risk of prescribing premixed colistimethate for inhalation with a nebulizer.

FDA Approves Ambrisentan (Letairis) for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA has approved ambrisentan (Letairis), an endothelin receptor antagonist, for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

ASCO: High Dose Pemetrexed (Alimta) Fails to Increase Survival in NSCLC

CHICAGO -- Increasing the dose of pemetrexed (Alimta) to 900 mg/m2 did not improve outcome for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but did slightly increase toxicity, researchers found.

ASCO: Vitamin B₁₂ Supplementation Can Be Given Closer to Pemetrexed for NSCLC

CHICAGO -- A shorter lead-in time between recommended vitamin B12 supplementation and pemetrexed (Alimta) therapy may reduce treatment delays without impairing its efficacy.

AAPA: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Wearies the Heart

PHILADELPHIA -- The most obvious clinical feature of obstructive sleep apnea may be weariness of mind, but this breathing disorder also slowly and silently wears down the heart, according to researchers.

USPSYCH: Insomnia Treatment Boosts Antidepressant Efficacy

SAN FRANCISCO -- A significant number of patients with major depression also suffer from chronic insomnia that hampers recovery, and treating the insomnia may improve both conditions.

ACR: Humira Does Not Affect Flu Vaccination Efficacy

WASHINGTON -- Vaccination against influenza or pneumococcal disease is safe and effective in people with rheumatoid arthritis who are taking Humira (adalimumab), a researcher said here.

CHEST: Destroying Airway Muscle With Heat Eases Asthma Symptoms

SALT LAKE CITY -- Asthma symptoms can be controlled by using heat to destroy smooth muscle tissue in the large airways, a Quebec researcher reported.

Titration May Reduce Nausea from Anti-Smoking Drug

FARMINGTON, Conn. -- Many patients taking Chantix (varenicline tartrate) to help kick the smoking habit could be spared the side effect of nausea if introduced to the drug gradually, researchers here said.

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