Prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis with interstitial lung disease using unstructured healthcare data and machine learning.

OBJECTIVES: Real-world data regarding rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its association with interstitial lung disease (ILD) is still scarce. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of RA and ILD in patients with RA (RAILD) in Spain, and to compare clinical characteristics of patients with RA with and without ILD using natural language processing (NLP) on electronic health records (EHR). METHODS: Observational case-control, retrospective and multicentre study based on the secondary use of unstructured clinical data from patients with adult RA and RAILD from nine hospitals between 2014 and 2019. NLP was used to extract unstructured clinical information from EHR and standardise it into a SNOMED-CT terminology. Prevalence of RA and RAILD were calculated, and a descriptive analysis was performed. Characteristics between patients with RAILD and RA patients without ILD (RAnonILD) were compared. RESULTS: From a source population of 3 176 165 patients and 64 241 683 EHRs, 13 958 patients with RA were identified. Of those, 5.1% patients additionally had ILD (RAILD). The overall age-adjusted prevalence of RA and RAILD were 0.53% and 0.02%, respectively. The most common ILD subtype was usual interstitial pneumonia (29.3%). When comparing RAILD versus RAnonILD patients, RAILD patients were older and had more comorbidities, notably concerning infections (33.6% vs 16.5%, p<0.001), malignancies (15.9% vs 8.5%, p<0.001) and cardiovascular disease (25.8% vs 13.9%, p<0.001) than RAnonILD. RAILD patients also had higher inflammatory burden reflected in more pharmacological prescriptions and higher inflammatory parameters and presented a higher in-hospital mortality with a higher risk of death (HR 2.32; 95% CI 1.59 to 2.81, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found an estimated age-adjusted prevalence of RA and RAILD by analysing real-world data through NLP. RAILD patients were more vulnerable at the time of inclusion with higher comorbidity and inflammatory burden than RAnonILD, which correlated with higher mortality.

A multi-criteria decision analysis on the value of nintedanib for interstitial lung diseases.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to assess the value of nintedanib for non-idiopathic progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (non-IPF PF-ILD) and systemic sclerosis-associated ILD (SSc-ILD) in the Spanish context, using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). METHODS: Following an adaptation of the Evidence and Value: Impact on DEcision Making (EVIDEM) MCDA methodology, the estimated value of nintedanib was obtained by means of an additive linear model that combined individual weights (100-points distribution) of criteria with the individual scoring of nintedanib in each criterion for every indication, assigned by a multidisciplinary committee of twelve clinicians, patients, pharmacists, and decision-makers. To assess the reproducibility, an alternative weighting method was applied, as well as a re-test of weights and scores at a different moment of time. RESULTS: The experts committee recognized nintedanib as an intervention with a positive value contribution in comparison to placebo for the treatment of non-IPF PF-ILD (0.50 ± 0.16, on a scale from -1 to 1) and SSc-ILD (0.40 ± 0.12), diseases which were considered as very severe and with high unmet needs. The drug was perceived as a treatment that provides an added therapeutic benefit for patients (0.06-0.07), given its proven clinical efficacy (0.05-0.06), slight improvements in patient-reported outcomes (0.01-0.02), and similar safety profile than placebo (-0.04-0.00), which will likely be positioned as a recommended therapy in the next clinical practice guidelines updates. CONCLUSIONS: Under this increasingly used methodology, nintedanib has shown to provide a positive value estimate for non-IPF PF-ILD and SSc-ILD when compared to placebo in Spain.

Guidelines for the medical treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. / Normativa sobre el tratamiento farmacológico de la fibrosis pulmonar idiopática.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is defined as chronic fibrosing interstitial pneumonia limited to the lung, with poor prognosis. The incidence has been rising in recent years probably due to improved diagnostic methods and increased life expectancy. In 2013, the SEPAR guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were published. Since then, clinical trials and meta-analyses have shown strong scientific evidence for the use of pirfenidone and nintedanib in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In 2015, the international consensus of 2011 was updated and new therapeutic recommendations were established, prompting us to update our recommendation for the medical treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis accordingly. Diagnostic aspects and non-pharmacological treatment will not be discussed as no relevant developments have emerged since the 2013 guidelines.

Quality-of-Life assessment in malignant pleural effusion treated with indwelling pleural catheter: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural effusion is a clinical problem that impairs Quality of Life in patients with advanced malignancies. An indwelling pleural catheter is an alternative treatment to palliate some of the symptoms. AIM: To evaluate the Quality of Life of outpatients with malignant pleural effusion who were treated with an indwelling pleural catheter. Questionnaire compliance, catheter patency time, and survival were analyzed. DESIGN: A multicenter observational study was conducted across five hospitals in Spain. Quality of Life was assessed at three different time points (before catheter placement and at 30 and 60 days post-placement) using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire QLQ-C30. For lung cancer patients, the QLQ-LC13 was also used. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with recurrent malignant pleural effusion treated with an indwelling pleural catheter. RESULTS: A total of 51 outpatients completed the baseline QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Of these, 28 completed the questionnaire at 30 days. Of these 28 patients, 13 completed the questionnaire at 60 days. Scores showed a significant improvement in symptoms scales at 30 days (p = 0.03). Global health status and functional scales showed a non-significant trend to improvement at 30 and 60 days. A total of 27 lung cancer patients completed the QLQ-LC13 questionnaire. Items assessing dyspnea showed a significant improvement following catheter placement (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Indwelling pleural catheter is useful for palliative management of recurrent malignant pleural effusion in that it benefits Quality of Life in outpatients with advanced malignancies. In lung cancer patients, scores indicated that indwelling pleural catheter also provides significant relief of dyspnea.

Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica (SEPAR) Research Group on Diffuse Pulmonary Diseases.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is defined as a chronic fibrosing interstitial pneumonia limited to the lung, of unknown cause, with poor prognosis and few treatment options. In recent years there has been an increase in their prevalence, probably due to the optimization of diagnostic methods and increased life expectancy. The ATS/ERS Consensus (2000) established the diagnostic criteria and recommendations for the assessment of the disease course and treatment. Later studies have helped to redefine diagnostic criteria and treatment options. In 2011, an international consensus was published, establishing diagnostic criteria and new treatment strategies. These guidelines have been updated with the newest aspects of diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. A level of evidence has been identified for the most relevant questions, particularly with regard to treatment options.

[Annual review of Archivos de Neumología in interventional pneumology, interstitial diseases and lung transplantation]. / Revista del año de Archivos de Neumología en neumología intervencionista, enfermedades intersticiales y trasplante pulmonar.

A review has been made of original articles on invasive pneumology techniques, interstitial diseases and lung transplantation, published in the Archivos de Bronconeumología during the year 2008. We have selected the publication by Martínez-Olondrins et al on the mediastinal staging of bronchogenic carcinoma by <> transbronchial needle aspiration to highlight the role of this simple, safe and cost-effective technique at a time when aspiration by ultrasound-guided bronchoscopy is profiled as an alternative to staging by mediastinoscopy. Besides its usefulness in the study of lymph nodes, transbronchial needle aspiration increases the overall performance of bronchoscopy by 20%, which means that it should be considered as a basic tool in the study of lung cancer. We also comment on the work by Galvis-Caravajal et al, who describe percutaneous radiofrequency as an alternative to radiotherapy in small lung or metastasic tumours. In diffuse interstitial disease, Morell et al analysed the diagnostic methods in 500 patients with this clinical-radiological presentation in which a definitive diagnosis was achieved in 85%, with 25% of them being obtained by non-invasively. Baloira et al analysed the characteristics of 19 patients with desquamative interstitial pneumonia and respiratory bronchiolitis associated-interstitial lung disease obtained from the National register of Interstitial Diseases.