COVID-19 related concerns of people with long-term respiratory conditions: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is having profound psychological impacts on populations globally, with increasing levels of stress, anxiety, and depression being reported, especially in people with pre-existing medical conditions who appear to be particularly vulnerable. There are limited data on the specific concerns people have about COVID-19 and what these are based on. METHODS: The aim of this study was to identify and explore the concerns of people with long-term respiratory conditions in the UK regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how these concerns were affecting them. We conducted a thematic analysis of free text responses to the question "What are your main concerns about getting coronavirus?", which was included in the British Lung Foundation/Asthma UK (BLF-AUK) partnership COVID-19 survey, conducted between the 1st and 8th of April 2020. This was during the 3rd week of the UK's initial 'social distancing measures' which included advice to stay at home and only go outside for specific limited reasons. RESULTS: 7039 responses were analysed, with respondents from a wide range of age groups (under 17 to over 80), gender, and all UK nations. Respondents reported having asthma (85%), COPD (9%), bronchiectasis (4%), interstitial lung disease (2%), or 'other' lung diseases (e.g. lung cancer) (1%). Four main themes were identified: (1) vulnerability to COVID-19; (2) anticipated experience of contracting COVID-19; (3) pervasive uncertainty; and (4) inadequate national response. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic is having profound psychological impacts. The concerns we identified largely reflect contextual factors, as well as their subjective experience of the current situation. Hence, key approaches to reducing these concerns require changes to the reality of their situation, and are likely to include (1) helping people optimise their health, limit risk of infection, and access necessities; (2) minimising the negative experience of disease where possible, (3) providing up-to-date, accurate and consistent information, (4) improving the government and healthcare response.

[Different Prevalences of Pneumological Disease Patterns in Outpatient and Inpatient Care]. / Unterschiedliche Häufigkeiten pneumologischer Krankheitsbilder in der ambulanten und stationären Medizin.

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the focus of treatment in pneumological inpatient and outpatient care is of special interest due to its impact on physician, patient and research. This work describes differences and commonalities in the focus of treatment of current pneumological inpatient and outpatient care and discusses their impact on patient, physician and research. METHODS: This study compares the inpatient and outpatient sector based on the prevalence of ICD codes of a pneumological specialist clinic (5.211 cases of 2016) and the most prevalent ICD-10 codes of pneumology practices in the third quarter 2016, published by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians North Rhine ("Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Nordrhein", 142.431 cases). RESULTS: Whereas the proportion of many pneumological disease patterns treated in physicians' practices and hospitals is similar, the relative frequencies of specific diseases differ considerably between the two. Treatment of allergic conditions such as allergic rhinopathy and bronchial asthma is mostly done on an outpatient basis while respiratory insufficiency and lung carcinoma constitute domains of pneumological inpatient care. CONCLUSION: Despite many commonalities in the focus of treatment in pneumological inpatient and outpatient care, there are also substantial differences between the two. These affect medical training, the conduct of clinical studies, and in particular, patient care. In order to maintain a high level of medical care in all areas of pneumology a close exchange between inpatient and outpatient sector seems crucial. In the end, the availability of medical expertise across both sectors will benefit all: physicians, patients and medical science.

Precision medicine in united airways disease: A "treatable traits" approach.

United airways disease (UAD) is the concept that the upper and lower airways, which are anatomically and immunologically related, form a single organ. According to this concept, upper and lower airway diseases are frequently comorbid because they reflect manifestations of a single underlying disease at different sites of the respiratory tract. Allergic asthma-allergic rhinitis is the archetypal UAD, but emerging data indicate that UAD is a heterogeneous condition and consists of multiple phenotypes (observable clinical characteristics) and endotypes (pathobiologic mechanisms). The UAD paradigm also extends to myriad sinonasal diseases (eg, chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps) and lower airway diseases (eg, bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Here, we review currently known phenoendotypes of UAD and propose a "treatable traits" approach for the classification and management of UAD, wherein pathophysiological mechanisms and factors contributing to disease are identified and targeted for treatment. Treatable traits in UAD can be analyzed according to a framework comprising airway inflammation (eosinophilic, neutrophilic), impaired airway mucosal defense (impaired mucociliary clearance, antibody deficiency), and exogenous cofactors (allergic sensitizers, tobacco smoke, microbes). Appreciation of treatable traits is necessary in advancing the effort to deliver precise treatments and achieve better outcomes in patients with UAD.

Computed tomographic findings in subjects who died from respiratory disease in the National Lung Screening Trial.

We evaluated the prevalence of significant lung abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) in patients who died from a respiratory illness other than lung cancer in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST).In this retrospective case-control study, NLST participants in the CT arm who died of respiratory illness other than lung cancer were matched for age, sex, pack-years and smoking status to a surviving control. A chest radiologist and a radiology resident blinded to the outcome independently scored baseline CT scans visually and qualitatively for the presence of emphysema, airway wall thickening and fibrotic lung disease. The prevalence of CT abnormalities was compared between cases and controls by using chi-squared tests.In total, 167 participants died from a respiratory cause other than lung cancer. The prevalence of severe emphysema, airway wall thickening and fibrotic lung disease were 28.7% versus 4.8%, 26.9% versus 13.2% and 18.6% versus 0.5% in cases and controls, respectively. Radiological findings were significantly more prevalent in deaths compared with controls (all p<0.001).CT-diagnosed severe emphysema, airway wall thickening and fibrosis were much more common in NLST participants who died from respiratory disease, and CT may provide an additional means of identifying these diseases.

[THE PREVALENCE OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AMONG RESIDENTS OF THE RUSSIAN FAR NORTH].

Aim: To study the frequency of respiratory symptoms among the reindeer herders of the Yamal region in the Far North of Russia. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the occurrence of respiratory symptoms among 500 subjects of the tundra Nenets population (28.1% of the adult Nenets population in the district), of which 38.3% were men and 61.7% women (average age 40.1 years). All patients were matched for age and occupation. Medical examination was carried out by a pulmonologist with the use of the GARD questionnaire (WHO, 2004) and spirometry. Spirometry was performed with a SpiroUSB device (UK) according to a unified standard and the criteria of ATS/ERS 2005. The frequency of respiratory symptoms among the tundra population was estimated at 71.8%. Cough with expectoration and dyspnea were found in 22.8% of the respondents. 70.0% of the examined subjects worked in the cold, 33% were exposed to the open flame at home, and 34.4% smoked. Respiratory symptoms developed in 16.3% of those working in the cold and in 37% exposed to open fire. The combination of such complaints as cough and sputum production occurred in smokers twice as frequently as in non-smokers (54.1%) (p<0.01).The combination of such complaints as cough and sputum production was twice as likely note in his those who smoked (54.1% vs 20.2%) (p<0.01). The combination of these problems dyspnea was three times more common in the smokers (23,3%vs 7,3%) (p<0.001). At presence at patients of such a factor as work in the cold and the absence of other only 16.3% of them have respiratory symptoms. When using at home the open flame and the absence of other factors leading up 37.0% of the individuals with symptoms of chronic bronchitis. Cough, sputum and dyspnea are formed only among 26.3% of the smokers face when smoking is the only risk factor. If the surveyed residents of all three negative factors respiratory symptoms met at 62.1%. Disorders of respiratory function according to spirometry were not observed in none of the study participants. Respiratory symptoms developed in 62.1% of the subjects exposed to all three risk factors. External respiration indices remain normal in all he examine subjects. It is concluded that residents of the Far North frequently suffer respiratory symptoms without disorders in the external respiratory function. In most cases they associated with three factors (work in the cold, exposure to open fire at home, and smoking). Compensatory stimulation of lung functions may create additional difficulties for diagnostics of bronchial obstruction.

Evaluation of inter-observer agreement when using a clinical respiratory scoring system in pre-weaned dairy calves.

AIM: To determine inter-observer agreement for a clinical scoring system for the detection of bovine respiratory disease complex in calves, and the impact of classification of calves as sick or healthy based on different cut-off values. METHODS: Two third-year veterinary students (Observer 1 and 2) and one post-graduate student (Observer 3) received 4 hours of training on scoring dairy calves for signs of respiratory disease, including rectal temperature, cough, eye and nasal discharge, and ear position. Observers 1 and 2 scored 40 pre-weaning dairy calves 24 hours apart (80 observations) over three visits to a calf-rearing facility, and Observers 1, 2 and 3 scored 20 calves on one visit. Inter-observer agreement was assessed using percentage of agreement (PA) and Kappa statistics for individual clinical signs, comparing Observers 1 and 2. Agreement between the three observers for total clinical score was assessed using cut-off values of ≥4, ≥5 and ≥6 to indicate unhealthy calves. RESULTS: Inter-observer PA for rectal temperature was 0.68, for cough 0.78, for nasal discharge 0.62, for eye discharge 0.63, and for ear position 0.85. Kappa values for all clinical signs indicated slight to fair agreement (<0.4), except temperature that had moderate agreement (0.6). The Fleiss' Kappa for total score, using cut-offs of ≥4, ≥5 and ≥6 to indicate unhealthy calves, was 0.35, 0.06 and 0.13, respectively, indicating slight to fair agreement. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There was important inter-observer discrepancies in scoring clinical signs of respiratory disease, using relatively inexperienced observers. These disagreements may ultimately mean increased false negative or false positive diagnoses and incorrect treatment of cases. Visual assessment of clinical signs associated with bovine respiratory disease needs to be thoroughly validated when disease monitoring is based on the use of a clinical scoring system.

[Advances in pediatric thoracic surgery during the past 50 years].

Surgical strategies and treatment for pediatric airway and lung diseases have advanced significantly, especially in the fields of subglottic stenosis, congenital tracheal stenosis, congenital cystic lung lesions, and endoscopic surgery, during the past 50 years. Pediatricians, pathologists, and pediatric surgeons have engaged in continuous discussions at scientific meetings to establish standard terminology and operative indications and to refine surgical techniques such as laryngoplasty, sliding tracheoplasty, lobectomy under thoracotomy and thoracoscopy. The modified Myer-Cotton grading system for subglottic stenosis was proposed and proved to be useful in selecting reconstructive operative techniques. The addition of aortopexy to sliding tracheoplasty was also confirmed to be effective in maintaining a wide postoperative tracheal lumen. The disease entities of each type of cystic lung lesion were clarified, and the clinical and etiological importance of bronchial/bronchiolar atresia was emphasized. A classification of congenital cystic lung disease was proposed based on anatomic and embryologic considerations. In this classification, congenital pulmonary airway anomaly was introduced to replace congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung. Intralobar sequestration of the lung must be located in the lower lobe in this definition and classification.

[Health, morbidity and injury rate among the north fleet seafaring personnel].

Health analysis of the basic and contractual servicemen of varying age was performed using the data of multi-year observations of personnel of a surface naval unit in the Kola arctic region. The article presents analysis of seamen health, level and structure of primary morbidity, structure and causes of injuries, distribution by the ICD-10 codes of disease, and data of regular medical check-ups. The term of comorbidity has been proposed to analyze morbidity among the servicemen and its dependence on environmental and occupational factors. Effects of the Kola environment on the servicemen health condition were demonstrated.

Dynamics of some common epidemics in Karachi, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the severity, frequency, monthly variability and grouping of some common epidemics and its relation to hygienic conditions and life style of the people in Karachi. METHODS: This ecological study was conducted from 2006 to 2009. Data was obtained from five different localities of Karachi. In each area, physician clinics were selected and questionnaire forms filled by professionals at the clinics, regarding health problems of patients. Multivariate analyses were used to summarize the data, for comparison and grouping the spread of epidemics. RESULTS: The severity of different epidemics varied among months and localities. The effective diseases potential areas with decreasing order were: Lines Area, Korangi, Malir, Metroville and Maymar. In all these areas cough, allergy, asthma, flu, fever and skin rashes were the widely distributed epidemics while the prevalence of other six epidemics prevailed to a lesser extent. Lines Area/Korangi and Malir/Metroville differed considerably with respect to prevalence of epidemics (P < 0.05) into a lesser, while Gulshan-e-Maymar was significantly different (P < 0.001) from the other four areas. Among four distinct groups i.e. 1) allergy/cough, 2) asthma/flu, 3) fever/skin rashes, 4) bronchitis, malaria, typhoid, diarrhoea, rhinitis and sinusitis, the first three groups were widely distributed. CONCLUSION: January was the most crucial month with highest number of patients. Certain epidemics were parallel in different areas with almost similar population size. Multivariate analysis disclosed the four distinct groups of epidemics in which first three groups were widely distributed.

Acute health effects associated with exposure to volcanic air pollution (vog) from increased activity at Kilauea Volcano in 2008.

In 2008, the Kilauea Volcano on the island of Hawai'i increased eruption activity and emissions of sulfurous volcanic air pollution called vog. The purpose of this study was to promptly assess for a relative increase in cases of medically diagnosed acute illnesses in an exposed Hawaiian community. Using a within-clinic retrospective cohort design, comparisons were made for visits of acute illnesses during the 14 wk prior to the increased volcanic emissions (low exposure) to 14 wk of high vog exposure when ambient sulfur dioxide was threefold higher and averaged 75 parts per billion volume per day. Logistic regression analysis estimated effect measures between the low- and high-exposure cohorts for age, gender, race, and smoking status. There were statistically significant positive associations between high vog exposure and visits for medically diagnosed cough, headache, acute pharyngitis, and acute airway problems. More than a sixfold increase in odds was estimated for visits with acute airway problems, primarily experienced by young Pacific Islanders. These findings suggest that the elevated volcanic emissions in 2008 were associated with increased morbidity of acute illnesses in age and racial subgroups of the general Hawaiian population. Continued investigation is crucial to fully assess the health impact of this natural source of sulfurous air pollution. Culturally appropriate primary- and secondary-level health prevention initiatives are recommended for populations in Hawai'i and volcanically active areas worldwide.

Clinical features and radiographic findings in cats with eosinophilic, neutrophilic, and mixed airway inflammation (2011-2018).

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in cats often is described as asthmatic (eosinophilic) or bronchitic (neutrophilic), but this designation requires collection of airway fluid and it fails to consider cats with mixed airway inflammation. OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical features that would differentiate inflammatory disease types. ANIMALS: Forty-nine cats with nonspecific airway inflammation identified by bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) between 2011 and 2018 were evaluated. METHODS: This is a retrospective study. Cats were categorized by BAL differential cytology as having eosinophilic (eosinophils >20% with neutrophils <14%, or eosinophils >50%), mixed (eosinophils 20%-50% and neutrophils >14% or discordant inflammation from 2 BAL sites), or neutrophilic (neutrophils >14% and eosinophils <20%) inflammation. Type and duration of presenting complaints, signalment, body condition score, respiratory rate, CBC results, bronchoscopy, BAL results (% recovery, total nucleated cell count, differential cell count), and radiographic findings were compared among groups. RESULTS: Idiopathic IAD was diagnosed in 49 cats, with BAL eosinophilic inflammation in 23, mixed inflammation in 14, and neutrophilic inflammation in 12. Cough was the predominant presenting complaint with no difference in duration of signs among groups (median, 5.5 months). Respiratory rate and effort also did not differ. Cats with eosinophilic inflammation were significantly younger (4.4 ± 3.3 years) than those with neutrophilic (8.0 ±5.6 years) or mixed inflammation (7.5 ± 4.0 years; P = .03). Results of CBC and interpretation of radiographic findings did not differ among groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Substantial overlap exists in clinical and radiographic findings in cats with various forms of idiopathic airway inflammation.

Importance of coding co-morbidities for APR-DRG assignment: Focus on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

BACKGROUND: The All Patient-Refined Diagnosis-Related Groups (APR-DRGs) system has adjusted the basic DRG structure by incorporating four severity of illness (SOI) levels, which are used for determining hospital payment. A comprehensive report of all relevant diagnoses, namely the patient's underlying co-morbidities, is a key factor for ensuring that SOI determination will be adequate. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to characterise the individual impact of co-morbidities on APR-DRG classification and hospital funding in the context of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: Using 6 years of coded clinical data from a nationwide Portuguese inpatient database and support vector machine (SVM) models, we simulated and explored the APR-DRG classification to understand its response to individual removal of Charlson and Elixhauser co-morbidities. We also estimated the amount of hospital payments that could have been lost when co-morbidities are under-reported. RESULTS: In our scenario, most Charlson and Elixhauser co-morbidities did considerably influence SOI determination but had little impact on base APR-DRG assignment. The degree of influence of each co-morbidity on SOI was, however, quite specific to the base APR-DRG. Under-coding of all studied co-morbidities led to losses in hospital payments. Furthermore, our results based on the SVM models were consistent with overall APR-DRG grouping logics. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Comprehensive reporting of pre-existing or newly acquired co-morbidities should be encouraged in hospitals as they have an important influence on SOI assignment and thus on hospital funding. Furthermore, we recommend that future guidelines to be used by medical coders should include specific rules concerning coding of co-morbidities.

The burden of air pollution and weather condition on daily respiratory deaths among older adults in China, Jinan from 2011 to 2017.

The health effects of short-term exposure to air pollutants on respiratory deaths and its modifiers such as meteorological indexes have been widely investigated. However, most of the previous studies are limited to single pollutants or total respiratory deaths, and their findings are inconsistent.To comprehensively examine the short-term effects of air pollutants on daily respiratory mortality.Our analysis included 16,931 nonaccidental respiratory deaths (except lung cancer and tuberculosis) among older adults (>65 years) from 2011 to 2017 in Jinan, China. We used a generalized additive Poisson models adjusted for meteorology and population dynamics to examine the associations between air pollutants (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of b2.5µm [PM2.5], particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of b10µm [PM10], SO2, NO2, O3) and daily mortality for the total patients, males, females, chronic airway diseases, pneumonia patients, and rest patients in Jinan.Outdoor air pollution was significantly related to mortality from all respiratory diseases especially from chronic airway disease in Jinan, China. The effects of air pollutants had lag effects and harvesting effects, and the effects estimates usually reached a peak at lag 1 or 2 day. An increase of 10 µg/m or 10 ppb of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3 corresponds to increments in mortality caused by chronic airway disease of 0.243% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.172-0.659) at lag 1 day, 0.127% (95% CI: -0.161-0.415) at lag 1 day, 0.603% (95% CI: 0.069-1.139) at lag 3 day, 0.649% (95% CI: -0.808-2.128) at lag 0 day and 0.944% (95% CI: 0.156-0.1598) at lag 1 day, respectively. The effects of air pollutants were usually greater in females and varied by respiratory subgroups. Spearman correlation analysis suggested that there was a significant association between meteorological indexes and air pollutants.Sex, age, temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind speed may modify the short-term effects of outdoor air pollution on mortality in Jinan. Compared with the other pollutants, O3 had a stronger effect on respiratory deaths among the elderly. Moreover, chronic airway diseases were more susceptible to air pollution. Our findings provided new evidence for new local environmental and health policies making.

Hidden respiratory disease-associated deaths.

OBJECTIVE: To bring together all deaths of respiratory origin, whether concentrated under Group J of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) or in other codes, and including the upper and lower airways and thorax, for a more accurate assessment of the public importance of respiratory diseases. METHODS: The most recent disaggregated mortality database (data from 86 countries) available from the World Health Organization using the ICD-10 was reviewed. RESULTS: Respiratory problems caused 16.6% of the deaths in the countries analysed (95%CI 7.9-27.1); 61% were considered chronic respiratory ailments (95%CI 17-85). Of all respiratory-related deaths, 44% were outside Group J and 7.8% were hidden in codes other than J, thoracic tumours, tuberculosis and diseases of pulmonary circulation. Hidden respiratory deaths were more common in low-income countries, but approximately 5% of respiratory deaths in high-income countries were also hidden. Respiratory deaths were the leading cause of death in five countries even when compared to the total number of cardiovascular and cancer deaths. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of respiratory deaths are 'hidden' in several ICD-10 codes, and are more numerous in countries with a high rate of acute respiratory disease and a low rate of chronic respiratory disease.

Trends in suspected and recognized occupational respiratory diseases in Germany between 1970 and 2005.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory diseases represent a major proportion of occupational diseases in many countries. Little information is available about their incidences over the past several decades. METHODS: Based on the reports of the three German federal accident insurance agencies, the numbers of suspected and recognized cases of occupational respiratory diseases between 1970 and 2005 were collected and combined. The trends in the rates per 100,000 insured workers were calculated. RESULTS: In total, a decline in occupational respiratory diseases since 1998 could be observed. This trend is mainly based on the decrease in non-malignant respiratory diseases due to silica and obstructive airway diseases. In contrast, asbestos-induced diseases showed a leveling off or an increase (mesothelioma) during the last 10years. CONCLUSIONS: Although trends in occupational disease may be influenced by several factors, the presented data indicate that prevention has been effective in reducing some ofthe most frequent occupational respiratory diseases in Germany.

ISHLT Consensus Statement on adult and pediatric airway complications after lung transplantation: Definitions, grading system, and therapeutics.

Airway complications remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality after cardiothoracic transplantation. The reported incidence of airway ischemic complications varies widely, contributed to by the lack of a universally accepted grading system and standardized definitions. Furthermore, the majority of the existing classification systems fail to integrate the wide range of possible bronchial complications that may develop after lung transplant. Hence, a Working Group was created by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation with the aim of elaborating a universal definition of adult and pediatric airway complications and grading system. One such area of focus is to understand the problem in the context of a more standardized consensus of classifying airway ischemia. This consensus definition will have major clinical, therapeutics, and research implications.

Valuing the adult health effects of air pollution in Chinese cities.

China's ongoing economic growth is accompanied by a large amount of air pollution that exacts significant health and economic costs on its people. Following up on some earlier work focusing upon general mortality and child-specific health effects, this article uses a larger data set, covering more than 90 Chinese cities, along with a set of China-based epidemiological functions, to estimate some of the adult health benefits of reducing urban air pollution. Projecting future air pollution based upon current conditions, it calculates the averted mortality and morbidity effects that would result from the cleanup of particulates, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. The inclusion of nitrogen dioxide in our analysis is particularly important because it is a growing problem and has not been included in most of the more widely known studies that examine Chinese air pollution. Finally, the economic valuation of these pollution-related health effects is developed, using a number of recent, China-based valuation studies.

Classifying Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease Events in Epidemiologic Cohort Studies.

RATIONALE: One in 12 adults has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma. Acute exacerbations of these chronic lower respiratory diseases (CLRDs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Valid approaches to classifying cases and exacerbations in the general population are needed to facilitate prevention research. OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility, reproducibility, and performance of a protocol to identify CLRD cases and exacerbations triggering emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations in cohorts of patients derived from general populations of adults. METHODS: A protocol was developed to classify CLRD cases and severe exacerbations on the basis of review of medical records. ED and inpatient medical records were ascertained prospectively in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, and inpatient records were retrospectively identified by administrative codes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. "Probable" exacerbations were defined as a physician's diagnosis of CLRD with acute respiratory symptoms. "Highly probable" exacerbations additionally required systemic corticosteroid therapy, and "definite" exacerbations required airflow limitation or evidence of CLRD on imaging studies. Adjudicated results were compared with CLRD cases identified by spirometry and self-report, and with an administrative definition of exacerbations. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Protocol-based classification was completed independently by two physicians for 216 medical records (56 ED visits and 61 hospitalizations in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos; 99 hospitalizations in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis). Reviewer disagreement occurred in 2-5% of cases and 4-8% of exacerbations. Eighty-nine percent of records were confirmed as at least probable CLRD cases. Fifty-six percent of confirmed CLRD cases had airflow limitation on the basis of baseline study spirometry. Of records that described CLRD as the primary discharge diagnosis code, an acute exacerbation was confirmed as at least probable for 96% and as highly probable or definite for 77%. Only 50% of records with CLRD as a secondary code were confirmed, although such records accounted for over half of all confirmed exacerbations. CONCLUSIONS: CLRD cases and severe exacerbations without preceding documentation of airflow limitation are identified frequently in population-based cohorts of persons. A primary discharge diagnosis of CLRD is specific but insensitive for defining exacerbations. Protocol-based classification of medical records may be appropriate to supplement and to validate identification of CLRD cases and exacerbations in general population studies. Clinical trials registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00005487 and NCT02060344).

Primary systemic vasculitis: clinical features and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), Churg Strauss syndrome (CSS) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) are primary systemic vasculitides (PSV), the clinical features of which have been described from tertiary centres. AIM: To provide the first clinical description of MPA from a general hospital and compare clinical features with WG and CSS. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of patient records. METHODS: Records of 99 PSV patients attending a single hospital, from 1988 to 2000, were reviewed for: clinical features, date/age at diagnosis, sex, duration of illness, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), treatment, comorbidity and deaths. Cases were classified using ACR, CHCC and Lanham criteria/definitions. Birmingham vasculitis activity scores (BVAS) and damage index (VDI) were calculated. Survival was assessed using Cox proportional hazards model and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). RESULTS: Compared to previous reports there was more ENT (29%) and respiratory (29%) but less renal (92%) involvement in MPA, and less ENT involvement in WG (81%). CSS showed high neurological (72%), cardiovascular (28%) and gastrointestinal (17%) involvement and the highest median (range) VDI (p = 0.01 vs. WG; p = 0.001 vs. MPA). BVAS1 was significantly lower in MPA than in WG [median (range) 15 (4-29) vs. 21 (6-39), (p = 0.001)] but not in CSS [20 (7-28), p = 0.08]. SMR (95%CI) for PSV was 4.8 (3.0-6.6); 5-year survival was 45.1% for MPA, 75.9% for WG and 68.1% for CSS. Age was a significant risk, but only to the same extent as in the reference population. When age was adjusted for, no other significant factor was found. DISCUSSION: The clinical characteristics seen here are similar to those in previous series. There are difficulties in using the MPA CHCC definitions in classification. There is a high proportion of neurological involvement in CSS, causing permanent damage. MPA may have a poorer prognosis than WG or CSS.