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BACKGROUND: In patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), exercise-induced desaturation during the 6-min walk test (6MWT), specifically nadir oxygen saturation (nSpO2) of ≤88 % is a negative prognostic marker. As the 6MWT is often impractical for ILD patients, the aim of this study is to compare the 1-min sit-to-stand test (1minSTS) with the 6MWT to detect exercise-induced desaturation. METHODS: Participants were recruited from a tertiary referral clinic with both tests performed on the same day. Utilising Bland-Altman analysis, the relationship between nSpO2 on 1minSTS and 6MWT was determined. An area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) determined the ability of nSpO2 on 1minSTS test to predict SpO2 ≤88 % on 6MWT. RESULTS: Fifty participants completed the study (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis n = 24, 48 %; connective tissue disease associated ILD n = 20, 40 %; other ILD n = 6, 12 %). Mean (SD) FVC%pred was 73 ± 16 %, mean DLCO%pred 57 ± 16 % and resting SpO2 99 ± 1 %. The 1minSTS resulted in less exercise-induced oxygen desaturation, with a median IQR nSpO2 of 95 % (89-98) and 93 % (85-96) respectively (p < 0.001). Moderate agreement was determined between the nSpO2 on both tests, with a mean difference of 3.2 % [-14 to +3.0 %]. The 1minSTS test accurately identified participants with nSpO2 ≤88 % on 6MWT (AUC 0.96). Oxygen desaturation ≤94 % during the 1minSTS test provided 100 % sensitivity and 87 % specificity for oxygen desaturation ≤88 % at 6MWT. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that exercise-induced oxygen desaturation during the 1minSTS test correlates with oxygen desaturation on 6MWT. The 1minSTS may be a practical screening tool for ILD patients who would benefit from further exercise testing.
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BACKGROUND: Adolescents can be especially vulnerable to various stressors as they are still in their formative years and transitioning into adulthood. Hence, it is important for them to have effective stress management strategies. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review investigates current well-being interventions that are aimed at reducing stress among young adults. In particular, interventions using the medium of virtual reality (VR) are explored. METHODS: This mixed methods systematic review follows the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols) guidelines, and papers were gathered from databases such as PsycINFO, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, OpenGrey, and Edutopia. Predetermined criteria and specific keywords were used to search for the papers. Search results were screened and extracted with all article screening or extraction delegated among all authors. Any disagreements after reconciliation were settled by a third author. The quality and risk of bias of included studies were assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) Tool for Quantitative Studies. Studies were analyzed qualitatively. RESULTS: In total, 20 studies were included, and qualitative analysis was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of VR-based interventions in 3 domains: nature, stress, and academics. CONCLUSIONS: Studies using VR interventions, overall, promoted a reduction in stress and an increase in well-being. The findings suggest that VR may serve as an accessible and affordable medium of stress reduction for students and young adults. Larger sample sizes, and a greater number of included studies, may be required in future directions.
Subject(s)
Stress, Psychological , Humans , Stress, Psychological/therapy , Stress, Psychological/prevention & control , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Young Adult , Adolescent , Virtual Reality , Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy/methodsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a heterogenous group of disorders with similar clinical presentation, but widely varying prognoses. The use of a pragmatic disease behaviour classification (DBC), first proposed in international guidelines in 2013, categorises diseases into five behavioural classes based on their predicted clinical course. This study aimed to determine the prognostic utility of the DBC in an ILD cohort. METHODS: Consecutive patients presented at the weekly multidisciplinary meeting (MDM) of a specialist ILD centre were included. MDM consensus was obtained for diagnosis and DBC category (1-5). Baseline and serial clinical and physiological data were collected over the study period (median 3.9 years, range 0-5.4 years). The relationship between DBC and prognostic outcomes was explored. RESULTS: 137 ILD patients, [64 (47%) female] were included with mean age 67.0 ± 1.1 years, baseline FVC% 72.7 ± 1.7, and baseline DLco% 57.8 ± 1.6%. Patients were stratified into DBC by consensus at MDM: DBC1 n = 0 (0%), DBC2 n = 16 (12%), DBC3 n = 10 (7.3%), DBC4 n = 55 (40%), and DBC5 n = 56 (41%). On univariable Cox regression, increasing DBC class was associated with poorer progression-free survival (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.0, p < 0.001). On multivariable Cox regression, DBC remained predictive of PFS when combined with age and gender (HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.9, p = 0.011), baseline FVC% (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-1.8, p = 0.003) and ILD diagnosis (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.2, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: DBC as determined at ILD multidisciplinary meeting may be a useful prognostic tool for the management of ILD patients.
Subject(s)
Lung Diseases, Interstitial , Humans , Female , Aged , Male , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/diagnosis , Prognosis , Vital Capacity , Progression-Free Survival , Respiratory Function Tests , Lung , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease leading to significant morbidity and mortality. In 2017 the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and Lung Foundation Australia (LFA) published a position statement on the treatment of IPF. Since that time, subsidized anti-fibrotic therapy in the form of pirfenidone and nintedanib is now available in both Australia and New Zealand. More recently, evidence has been published in support of nintedanib for non-IPF progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF). Additionally, there have been numerous publications relating to the non-pharmacologic management of IPF and PPF. This 2023 update to the position statement for treatment of IPF summarizes developments since 2017 and reaffirms the importance of a multi-faceted approach to the management of IPF and progressive pulmonary fibrosis.
Subject(s)
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis , Humans , New Zealand , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/drug therapy , Fibrosis , Australia , Pyridones/therapeutic useABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Severe COVID-19 causes acute inflammation, which is complicated by venous thromboembolism events (VTE). However, it is unclear if VTE risk has evolved over time since the COVID-19 outbreak. AIMS: To determine markers of thrombo-inflammation and rates of symptomatic VTE in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 in a metropolitan hospital in Sydney, Australia. METHODS: A retrospective, single-centre, cohort study was performed by reviewing electronic medical records of consecutive patients admitted to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital between March 2020 and September 2021. This period included three waves of COVID-19 outbreaks in Australia with the ancestral, alpha and delta variants. Standard coagulation assays and inflammatory markers were recorded over 4 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 205 patients were consecutively admitted during the study period. Activated partial thromboplastin time, neutrophil count and C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly increased in patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit (ICU) compared with non-ICU patients. The use of anti-inflammatory medication increased in 2021 compared with 2020. The mortality rate was 7.3% in our cohort. Ninety-four per cent of patients received anticoagulation with 6.3% of patients developing VTE. CONCLUSION: We observed lower rates of VTE compared to the internationally reported rate for the same period. We conclude that in the setting of controlled hospital admission rate and standard anticoagulation guidelines, COVID-19 resulted in similar thrombo-inflammatory response and VTE rates over the first 1.5 years of the pandemic.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Venous Thromboembolism , Humans , COVID-19/complications , Anticoagulants/therapeutic use , SARS-CoV-2 , Venous Thromboembolism/drug therapy , Venous Thromboembolism/epidemiology , Cohort Studies , Retrospective Studies , Inflammation/epidemiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with coexistent emphysema, termed combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) may associate with reduced forced vital capacity (FVC) declines compared to non-CPFE IPF patients. We examined associations between mortality and functional measures of disease progression in two IPF cohorts. METHODS: Visual emphysema presence (>0% emphysema) scored on computed tomography identified CPFE patients (CPFE/non-CPFE: derivation cohort n=317/n=183, replication cohort n=358/n=152), who were subgrouped using 10% or 15% visual emphysema thresholds, and an unsupervised machine-learning model considering emphysema and interstitial lung disease extents. Baseline characteristics, 1-year relative FVC and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D LCO) decline (linear mixed-effects models), and their associations with mortality (multivariable Cox regression models) were compared across non-CPFE and CPFE subgroups. RESULTS: In both IPF cohorts, CPFE patients with ≥10% emphysema had a greater smoking history and lower baseline D LCO compared to CPFE patients with <10% emphysema. Using multivariable Cox regression analyses in patients with ≥10% emphysema, 1-year D LCO decline showed stronger mortality associations than 1-year FVC decline. Results were maintained in patients suitable for therapeutic IPF trials and in subjects subgrouped by ≥15% emphysema and using unsupervised machine learning. Importantly, the unsupervised machine-learning approach identified CPFE patients in whom FVC decline did not associate strongly with mortality. In non-CPFE IPF patients, 1-year FVC declines ≥5% and ≥10% showed strong mortality associations. CONCLUSION: When assessing disease progression in IPF, D LCO decline should be considered in patients with ≥10% emphysema and a ≥5% 1-year relative FVC decline threshold considered in non-CPFE IPF patients.
Subject(s)
Emphysema , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis , Pulmonary Emphysema , Humans , Pulmonary Emphysema/complications , Lung , Fibrosis , Emphysema/complications , Disease Progression , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The experience of outpatient care may differ for select patient groups. This prospective study evaluates the adult patient experience of multidisciplinary outpatient cystic fibrosis (CF) care with videoconferencing through telehealth compared with face-to-face care the year prior. METHODS: People with CF without a lung transplant were recruited. Patient-reported outcomes were obtained at commencement and 12 months into the study, reflecting both their face-to-face and telehealth through videoconferencing experience, respectively. Three patient cohorts were analysed: (i) participants with a regional residence, (ii) participants with a nonregional including metropolitan residence and (iii) participants with colonised multiresistant microbiota. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were enrolled in the study (mean age, 37 ± 11 years; 50% male; mean forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration, 60% [standard deviation, 23]) between February 2020 and May 2021. No differences between models were observed in the participants' rating of the health care team, general and mental health rating, and their confidence in handling treatment plans at home. No between-group differences in the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire - Revised (CFQ-R) were observed. Travel duration and the cost of attending a clinic was significantly reduced, particularly for the regional group (4 h, AU$108 per clinic; P < 0.05). A total of 93% respondents preferred to continue with a hybrid approach. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, participants' experience of care and quality of life were no different with face-to-face and virtual care between the groups. Time and cost-savings, particularly for patients living in regional areas, were observed. Most participants preferred to continue with a hybrid model for outpatient care.
Subject(s)
Cystic Fibrosis , Humans , Adult , Cystic Fibrosis/diagnosis , Routinely Collected Health Data , Australia , RegistriesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Prediction of disease course in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis remains challenging. The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of lung fibrosis extent quantified at computed tomography (CT) using data-driven texture analysis (DTA) in a large cohort of well-characterized patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) enrolled in a national registry. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included participants in the Australian IPF Registry with available CT between 2007 and 2016. CT scans were analysed using the DTA method to quantify the extent of lung fibrosis. Demographics, longitudinal pulmonary function and quantitative CT metrics were compared using descriptive statistics. Linear mixed models, and Cox analyses adjusted for age, gender, BMI, smoking history and treatment with anti-fibrotics were performed to assess the relationships between baseline DTA, pulmonary function metrics and outcomes. RESULTS: CT scans of 393 participants were analysed, 221 of which had available pulmonary function testing obtained within 90 days of CT. Linear mixed-effect modelling showed that baseline DTA score was significantly associated with annual rate of decline in forced vital capacity and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide. In multivariable Cox proportional hazard models, greater extent of lung fibrosis was associated with poorer transplant-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 1.20, p < 0.0001) and progression-free survival (HR 1.14, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In a multi-centre observational registry of patients with IPF, the extent of fibrotic abnormality on baseline CT quantified using DTA is associated with outcomes independent of pulmonary function.
Subject(s)
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Australia/epidemiology , Vital Capacity , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Lung/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
Rationale: Reliable outcome prediction in patients with fibrotic lung disease using baseline high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) data remains challenging. Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic accuracy of a deep learning algorithm (SOFIA [Systematic Objective Fibrotic Imaging Analysis Algorithm]), trained and validated in the identification of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)-like features on HRCT (UIP probability), in a large cohort of well-characterized patients with progressive fibrotic lung disease drawn from a national registry. Methods: SOFIA and radiologist UIP probabilities were converted to Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis (PIOPED)-based UIP probability categories (UIP not included in the differential, 0-4%; low probability of UIP, 5-29%; intermediate probability of UIP, 30-69%; high probability of UIP, 70-94%; and pathognomonic for UIP, 95-100%), and their prognostic utility was assessed using Cox proportional hazards modeling. Measurements and Main Results: In multivariable analysis adjusting for age, sex, guideline-based radiologic diagnosis, anddisease severity (using total interstitial lung disease [ILD] extent on HRCT, percent predicted FVC, DlCO, or the composite physiologic index), only SOFIA UIP probability PIOPED categories predicted survival. SOFIA-PIOPED UIP probability categories remained prognostically significant in patients considered indeterminate (n = 83) by expert radiologist consensus (hazard ratio, 1.73; P < 0.0001; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-2.14). In patients undergoing surgical lung biopsy (n = 86), after adjusting for guideline-based histologic pattern and total ILD extent on HRCT, only SOFIA-PIOPED probabilities were predictive of mortality (hazard ratio, 1.75; P < 0.0001; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-2.25). Conclusions: Deep learning-based UIP probability on HRCT provides enhanced outcome prediction in patients with progressive fibrotic lung disease when compared with expert radiologist evaluation or guideline-based histologic pattern. In principle, this tool may be useful in multidisciplinary characterization of fibrotic lung disease. The utility of this technology as a decision support system when ILD expertise is unavailable requires further investigation.
Subject(s)
Deep Learning , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis , Lung Diseases, Interstitial , Humans , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/diagnosis , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Lung/pathology , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Retrospective Studies , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methodsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have experienced drastic changes in their academic and social lives with ensuing consequences towards their physical and mental well-being. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify virtual mindfulness-based interventions for the well-being of adults aged 19 to 40 years in developed countries and examine the efficacy of these techniques/exercises. METHODS: This mixed-methods systematic review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines with a registered PROSPERO protocol. With a convergent integrated synthesis approach, IEEE Xplore, PsychInfo, Web of Science and OVID were searched with a predetermined criteria and search strategy employing booleans and filters for peer-reviewed and gray literature. Data screening and extraction were independently performed by two authors, with a third author settling disagreements after reconciliation. Study quality of selected articles was assessed with two independent authors using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Studies were analyzed qualitatively (precluding meta and statistical analysis) due to the heterogeneous study results from diverse study designs in present literature. RESULTS: Common mindfulness-based interventions used in the appraised studies included practicing basic mindfulness, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy programs (MBCT) and the Learning 2 BREATHE (L2B) program. CONCLUSION: Studies implementing mindfulness interventions demonstrated an overall improvement in well-being. Modified versions of these interventions can be implemented in a virtual context, so adults can improve their well-being through an accessible format.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Mindfulness , Adult , Humans , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Young AdultABSTRACT
Spirometry is usually performed under the supervision of a trained respiratory scientist to ensure acceptability and repeatability of results. To evaluate the quality of spirometry performance by adult cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with and without observation by a trained respiratory scientist, an observational, single centre study was conducted between February to December 2020. 74 adults were recruited and instructed to perform spirometry without supervision within 24 h of their remote CF clinic consultation. Spirometry was repeated at their consultation, supervised by a respiratory scientist using video conferencing. The majority of patients achieved grade A (excellent) or B (very good) spirometry quality with (95%) and without supervision (93%) independent of lung function severity. Similarly, forced expiratory volume in 1 second demonstrated no significant differences with paired spirometry performed within a 24 hour period. For a large proportion of adult CF patients, unsupervised portable spirometry produces acceptable and repeatable results.
Subject(s)
Cystic Fibrosis/therapy , Quality of Health Care , Spirometry/methods , Telemedicine/methods , Adult , Female , Home Care Services , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease in which circulatory biomarkers have the potential for guiding management in clinical practice. We assessed the prognostic role of serum biomarkers in three independent IPF cohorts: Australian Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Registry (AIPFR), Trent Lung Fibrosis (TLF) and Prospective Observation of Fibrosis in the Lung Clinical Endpoints (PROFILE). METHODS: In the AIPFR cohort, candidate proteins were assessed by ELISA as well as in an unbiased proteomic approach. LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) regression was used to restrict the selection of markers that best accounted for the progressor phenotype at 1â year in the AIPFR cohort, and subsequently prospectively selected for replication in the validation TLF cohort and assessed retrospectively in the PROFILE cohort. Four significantly replicating biomarkers were aggregated into a progression index model based on tertiles of circulating concentrations. RESULTS: 189 participants were included in the AIPFR cohort, 205 participants from the TLF cohort and 122 participants from the PROFILE cohort. Differential biomarker expression was observed by ELISA and replicated for osteopontin, matrix metallopeptidase-7, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and periostin for those with a progressor phenotype at 1â year. Proteomic data did not replicate. The progression index in the AIPFR, TLF and PROFILE cohorts predicted risk of progression, mortality and progression-free survival. A statistical model incorporating the progression index demonstrated the capacity to distinguish disease progression at 12â months, which was increased beyond the clinical GAP (gender, age and physiology) score model alone in all cohorts, and significantly so within the incidence-based TLF and PROFILE cohorts. CONCLUSION: A panel of circulatory biomarkers can provide potentially valuable clinical assistance in the prognosis of IPF patients.
Subject(s)
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis , Australia , Biomarkers , Humans , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/diagnosis , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/genetics , Prospective Studies , Proteomics , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
In patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema, emphysema and fibrosis do not have a synergistic effect that results in worsened survival when compared to IPF patients without emphysema https://bit.ly/35EJMo6.
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OBJECTIVES: The detection of myositis autoantibodies (MA) in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) has major implications for diagnosis and management, especially amyopathic and forme frustes of idiopathic inflammatory myositis-associated ILD (IIM-ILD). Use of the MA line immunoblot assay (MA-LIA) in non-rheumatological cohorts remains unvalidated. We assessed the diagnostic performance of the MA-LIA and explored combined models with clinical variables to improve identification of patients with IIM-ILD. METHODS: Consecutive patients referred to a specialist ILD clinic, with ILD-diagnosis confirmed at multidisciplinary meeting, and MA-LIA performed within six months of baseline were included. Pre-specified MA-LIA thresholds were evaluated for IIM-ILD diagnosis. RESULTS: A total 247 ILD patients were included (IIM-ILD n = 12, non-IIM connective tissue disease-associated ILD [CTD-ILD] n = 52, idiopathic interstitial pneumonia [IIP] n = 115, other-ILD n = 68). Mean age was 64.8 years, with 45.3% female, mean FVC 75.5% and DLCO 59.2% predicted. MA were present in 13.8% overall and 83.3% of IIM-ILD patients. The most common MA in IIM-ILD and non-IIM ILD patients were anti-Jo-1 (prevalence 40%) and anti-PMScl (29.2%) autoantibodies respectively. The pre-specified low-positive threshold (>10 signal intensity) had the highest discriminative capacity for IIM-ILD (AUC 0.86). Combining MA-LIA with age, gender, clinical CTD-manifestations and an overlap non-specific interstitial pneumonia/organising pneumonia pattern on HRCT improved discrimination for IIM-ILD (AUC 0.96). CONCLUSION: The MA-LIA is useful to support a diagnosis of IIM-ILD as a complement to multi-disciplinary ILD assessment. Clinical interpretation is optimised by consideration of the strength of the MA-LIA result together with clinical and radiological features of IIM-ILD.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Antinuclear/blood , Autoantibodies/blood , Immunoassay/methods , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/diagnosis , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/immunology , Myositis/diagnosis , Myositis/immunology , Aged , Biomarkers/blood , Exosome Multienzyme Ribonuclease Complex/immunology , Female , Humans , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/etiology , Male , Middle Aged , Myositis/complications , RNA-Binding Proteins/immunologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The research term "interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features" (IPAF) encompasses interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients with autoimmune features not meeting diagnostic criteria for a defined connective tissue disease (CTD). It remains unclear if IPAF is a distinct disease entity with implications for management and prognosis. We describe an Australian IPAF population and compare their baseline characteristics and outcomes with distinct cohorts of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP), CTD-ILD, and unclassifiable ILD. METHODS: Review of 291 consecutive patients attending a specialist ILD clinic was performed. Patients with a diagnosis of IIP, CTD-ILD, and unclassifiable ILD by ILD-multidisciplinary meeting (ILD-MDM) were included. Patients meeting the IPAF criteria were identified. Baseline clinical data, survival, and progression were compared between ILD groups. RESULTS: 226 patients were included, 36 meeting the IPAF criteria. IPAF patients demonstrated a high prevalence of autoantibodies to tRNA synthetase (35.3%), Ro52 (27.8%), and neutrophilic cytoplasmic antigens (ANCA; 20.0%). IPAF and CTD-ILD patients demonstrated similar clinical characteristics (mean age 66.6 and 63.7 years, respectively, female predominant, frequent CTD-manifestations). Lung function did not differ between ILD groups. Disease severity, pulmonary hypertension (PH), and ILD-MDM diagnosis were strong predictors of worse transplant-free survival (TFS). Meeting the IPAF criteria was not associated with TFS. CONCLUSIONS: We identified IPAF as a heterogeneous phenotype that overlaps considerably with CTD-ILD. Disease severity, PH, and ILD-MDM diagnosis were more powerful predictors of survival outcomes than meeting the IPAF criteria.
Subject(s)
Connective Tissue Diseases , Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias , Lung Diseases, Interstitial , Australia/epidemiology , Connective Tissue Diseases/complications , Female , Humans , Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias/diagnosis , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/diagnosis , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedSubject(s)
COVID-19 , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis , Lung Diseases, Interstitial , Humans , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The significant and progressive morbidity associated with ILD mean that patients often struggle with the impact of this disease on their QOL and independence. To date, no studies have investigated the importance of multidisciplinary care on patient experience in ILD. We aimed to determine the expectations and priorities of patients attending a tertiary referral centre multidisciplinary ILD clinic. In particular, we sought to learn how important the multidisciplinary element of the clinic was to patients and which aspects of the clinic were most valued. METHODS: An 18-item patient questionnaire was developed in conjunction with expert physicians and specialist nurses involved in the ILD clinic and sent to all patients on the centre's ILD registry at the time of the study (n = 240). Patients rated the importance of different aspects of their experience of attending the clinic. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Comparisons across disease severity were made using two-sided Z-tests for independent proportions. RESULTS: A total of 100 respondents comprised the study group. Almost all respondents valued the multidisciplinary aspect of the clinic. Obtaining an accurate diagnosis and improving their disease understanding was most important to respondents. The importance of the ILD specialist nurse for both education and support increased with worsening disease severity. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a multidisciplinary approach to the management of ILD with additional focus on patient education, as well as tailoring care to disease severity, is a plausible pathway to improving the patient experience with ILD.
Subject(s)
Interdisciplinary Communication , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/epidemiology , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Patient Education as Topic , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
Pulmonary complications in CTD are common and can involve the interstitium, airways, pleura and pulmonary vasculature. ILD can occur in all CTD (CTD-ILD), and may vary from limited, non-progressive lung involvement, to fulminant, life-threatening disease. Given the potential for major adverse outcomes in CTD-ILD, accurate diagnosis, assessment and careful consideration of therapeutic intervention are a priority. Limited data are available to guide management decisions in CTD-ILD. Autoimmune-mediated pulmonary inflammation is considered a key pathobiological pathway in these disorders, and immunosuppressive therapy is generally regarded the cornerstone of treatment for severe and/or progressive CTD-ILD. However, the natural history of CTD-ILD in individual patients can be difficult to predict, and deciding who to treat, when and with what agent can be challenging. Establishing realistic therapeutic goals from both the patient and clinician perspective requires considerable expertise. The document aims to provide a framework for clinicians to aid in the assessment and management of ILD in the major CTD. A suggested approach to diagnosis and monitoring of CTD-ILD and, where available, evidence-based, disease-specific approaches to treatment have been provided.
Subject(s)
Connective Tissue Diseases/complications , Connective Tissue Diseases/diagnosis , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/complications , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/diagnosis , Societies, Medical , Australia , Clinical Trials as Topic , Connective Tissue Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Connective Tissue Diseases/pathology , Humans , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/diagnostic imaging , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/pathology , New ZealandABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is a group of respiratory conditions affecting the lung interstitium often associated with progressive respiratory failure. There is increasing recognition of the need for improved epidemiological data to help determine best practice and improve standardisation of care. The Australasian ILD Registry (AILDR) is a bi-national registry of patients with all ILD subtypes designed to establish a clinically meaningful database reflecting real world practice in Australasia with an objective to improve diagnostic and treatment pathways through research and collaboration. METHODS: AILDR is a prospective observational registry recruiting patients attending ILD clinics at centres around Australia and New Zealand. Core and non-core data are stored on a secure server. The pilot phase was launched in 2016 consisting of four sites in Australia. Currently in its second phase a further 16 sites have been recruited, including three in New Zealand. RESULTS: A total of 1061 participants were consented during the pilot phase. Baseline data demonstrated a mean age 68.3 ± 12.5 (SD) years, mean FVC (%predicted) 79.1 ± 20.4 (SD), mean DLCO (%predicted) 58.5 ± 17.9 (SD) and nadir exertional SpO2 (%) 91 ± 6.9 (SD). Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (31%) and connective-tissue disease related ILD (21.7%) were the two most common subtypes. Baseline demographics and physiology were not significantly different across the four centres. CONCLUSION: AILDR is an important clinical and research tool providing a platform for epidemiological data that will prove essential in promoting understanding of a rare cohort of lung disease and provide foundations for our aspiration to standardise investigation and treatment pathways of ILD across Australasia.