Effects of Air Stacking on Dyspnea and Lung Function in Neuromuscular Diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the decrease in dyspnea in neuromuscular diseases after air stacking (AS) occurs mostly in patients with decreased inspiratory muscle force and ensuing chest wall restriction or heterogeneous ventilation across the lungs. DESIGN: Interventional, before-after study. SETTING: A neurorehabilitation inpatient and outpatient center. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen consecutive adult patients affected by neuromuscular diseases (N=15). INTERVENTIONS: AS treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients had vital capacity (VC) and sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) measured. We measured Borg score, oxygen saturation, and ventilation heterogeneity across the lung as estimated from the difference between respiratory resistance at 5 and 19 Hz (R5-19) with the forced oscillation technique before and 5, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after applying AS. RESULTS: Before AS, Borg score was significantly related to R5-19 (r2 0.46, P<.05) but not to VC % predicted, SNIP % predicted, and time since symptom onset. After AS, average Borg score gradually decreased (P=.005), whereas inspiratory flow resistance at 5 Hz, R5-19, and inspiratory reactance at 5 Hz tended to improve, despite not reaching statistical significance. The decrease in dyspnea at 60 and 120 minutes after AS significantly correlated with baseline R5-19 (r2 0.49, P<.01 and r2 0.29, P<.05, respectively), but not with VC % predicted, SNIP % predicted, time since symptom onset, and clinical severity score for patients affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that dyspnea in neuromuscular diseases is related to heterogeneous ventilation rather than inspiratory muscle force and/or lung volumes decrease. Restoring ventilation distribution across the lungs with AS appears to improve dyspnea.

Clinical Use and Barriers of Thoracic Ultrasound: A Survey of Italian Pulmonologists.

INTRODUCTION: Thoracic ultrasound is accurate in the diagnosis of a wide range of respiratory diseases. Yet the extent of its use is unknown. Through a national survey, we aimed to explore the clinical use of thoracic ultrasound and the barriers to the diffusion of the technique in Italy. METHODS: Accademia di Ecografia Toracica (AdET) developed a self-administered survey which was sent by email to Italian pulmonologists via national scientific societies and networks. RESULTS: Of the 2010 physicians invited, 514 completed the survey (26% response rate). According to 99% of responders, thoracic ultrasound had a relevant clinical role. Seventy-nine percent of the responders used thoracic ultrasound at least once a month. The main settings were: 53% pulmonology ward, 15% outpatient clinic, 15% interventional pulmonology room, 10% internal medicine ward, 4% respiratory intensive care units, and 9% other. Thoracic ultrasound was primarily used: (1) with both diagnostic and interventional aims (72%), (2) as diagnostic imaging (17%), and (3) as guidance for interventional procedures (11%). The main clinical applications were: (1) diagnosis and management of pleural effusion, (2) pneumothorax, (3) pneumonia, (4) cardiac failure, and (5) acute dyspnea. Twenty-one percent of the responders do not use thoracic ultrasound. The main reported bar-riers were: (1) availability of an ultrasound system (52%), (2) lack of protected time and training (22%), and (3) use of the technique by other specialists (15%). CONCLUSION: Thoracic ultrasound is widely used by Italian pulmonologists and considered a clinically relevant tool. The availability of dedicated ultrasound systems seems to be a major limit of the use of the technique.

Inpatient Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of Italian Physicians.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially fatal disease that is of great global public health concern. OBJECTIVE: We explored the clinical management of inpatients with COVID-19 in Italy. METHODS: A self-administered survey was sent by email to Italian physicians caring for adult patients with COVID-19. A panel of experts was selected according to their clinical curricula and their responses were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 1,215 physicians completed the survey questionnaire (17.4% response rate). Of these, 188 (15.5%) were COVID-19 experts. Chest computed tomography was the most used method to detect and monitor COVID-19 pneumonia. Most of the experts managed acute respiratory failure with CPAP (56.4%), high flow nasal cannula (18.6%), and non-invasive mechanical ventilation (8%), while an intensivist referral for early intubation was requested in 17% of the cases. Hydroxychloroquine was prescribed as an antiviral in 90% of cases, both as monotherapy (11.7%), and combined with protease inhibitors (43.6%) or azithromycin (36.2%). The experts unanimously prescribed low-molecular-weight heparin to patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, and half of them (51.6%) used a dose higher than standard. The respiratory burden in patients who survived the acute phase was estimated as relevant in 28.2% of the cases, modest in 39.4%, and negligible in 9%. CONCLUSIONS: In our survey some major topics, such as the role of non-invasive respiratory support and drug treatments, show disagreement between experts, likely reflecting the absence of high-quality evidence studies. Considering the significant respiratory sequelae reported following COVID-19, proper respiratory and physical therapy programs should be promptly made available.

ERS statement on chest imaging in acute respiratory failure.

Chest imaging in patients with acute respiratory failure plays an important role in diagnosing, monitoring and assessing the underlying disease. The available modalities range from plain chest X-ray to computed tomography, lung ultrasound, electrical impedance tomography and positron emission tomography. Surprisingly, there are presently no clear-cut recommendations for critical care physicians regarding indications for and limitations of these different techniques.The purpose of the present European Respiratory Society (ERS) statement is to provide physicians with a comprehensive clinical review of chest imaging techniques for the assessment of patients with acute respiratory failure, based on the scientific evidence as identified by systematic searches. For each of these imaging techniques, the panel evaluated the following items: possible indications, technical aspects, qualitative and quantitative analysis of lung morphology and the potential interplay with mechanical ventilation. A systematic search of the literature was performed from inception to September 2018. A first search provided 1833 references. After evaluating the full text and discussion among the committee, 135 references were used to prepare the current statement.These chest imaging techniques allow a better assessment and understanding of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of patients with acute respiratory failure, but have different indications and can provide additional information to each other.

Global and Regional Diagnostic Accuracy of Lung Ultrasound Compared to CT in Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Lung CT is the reference imaging technique for acute respiratory distress syndrome, but requires transportation outside the intensive care and x-ray exposure. Lung ultrasound is a promising, inexpensive, radiation-free, tool for bedside imaging. Aim of the present study was to compare the global and regional diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound and CT scan. DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. SETTING: Intensive care and radiology departments of a University hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-two sedated, paralyzed acute respiratory distress syndrome patients (age 65 ± 14 yr, body mass index 25.9 ± 6.5 kg/m, and PaO2/FIO2 139 ± 47). INTERVENTIONS: Lung CT scan and lung ultrasound were performed at positive end-expiratory pressure 5 cm H2O. A standardized assessment of six regions per hemithorax was used; each region was classified for the presence of normal aeration, alveolar-interstitial syndrome, consolidation, and pleural effusion. Agreement between the two techniques was calculated, and diagnostic variables were assessed for lung ultrasound using lung CT as a reference. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Global agreement between lung ultrasound and CT ranged from 0.640 (0.391-0.889) to 0.934 (0.605-1.000) and was on average 0.775 (0.577-0.973). The overall sensitivity and specificity of lung ultrasound ranged from 82.7% to 92.3% and from 90.2% to 98.6%, respectively. Similar results were found with regional analysis. The diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound was significantly higher when those patterns not reaching the pleural surface were excluded (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: alveolar-interstitial syndrome 0.854 [0.821-0.887] vs 0.903 [0.852-0.954]; p = 0.049 and consolidation 0.851 [0.818-0.884] vs 0.896 [0.862-0.929]; p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Lung ultrasound is a reproducible, sensitive, and specific tool, which allows for bedside detections of the morphologic patterns in acute respiratory distress syndrome. The presence of deep lung alterations may impact the diagnostic performance of this technique.

Management of Chronic Respiratory Failure in Interstitial Lung Diseases: Overview and Clinical Insights.

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) may be complicated by chronic respiratory failure (CRF), especially in the advanced stages. Aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the current evidence in management of CRF in ILDs. Many physiological mechanisms underlie CRF in ILDs, including lung restriction, ventilation/perfusion mismatch, impaired diffusion capacity and pulmonary vascular damage. Intermittent exertional hypoxemia is often the initial sign of CRF, evolving, as ILD progresses, into continuous hypoxemia. In the majority of the cases, the development of CRF is secondary to the worsening of the underlying disease; however, associated comorbidities may also play a role. When managing CRF in ILDs, the need for pulmonary rehabilitation, the referral to lung transplant centers and palliative care should be assessed and, if necessary, promptly offered. Long-term oxygen therapy is commonly prescribed in case of resting or exertional hypoxemia with the purpose to decrease dyspnea and improve exercise tolerance. High-Flow Nasal Cannula oxygen therapy may be used as an alternative to conventional oxygen therapy for ILD patients with severe hypoxemia requiring both high flows and high oxygen concentrations. Non-Invasive Ventilation may be used in the chronic setting for palliation of end-stage ILD patients, although the evidence to support this application is very limited.

Management of acute respiratory failure in interstitial lung diseases: overview and clinical insights.

BACKGROUND: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by widespread fibrotic and inflammatory abnormalities of the lung. Respiratory failure is a common complication in advanced stages or following acute worsening of the underlying disease. Aim of this review is to evaluate the current evidence in determining the best management of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in ILDs. METHODS: A literature search was performed in the Medline/PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify studies that investigated the management of ARF in ILDs (the last search was conducted on November 2017). RESULTS: In managing ARF, it is important to establish an adequate diagnostic and therapeutic management depending on whether the patient has an underlying known chronic ILD or ARF is presenting in an unknown or de novo ILD. In the first case both primary causes, such as acute exacerbations of the disease, and secondary causes, including concomitant pulmonary infections, fluid overload and pulmonary embolism need to be investigated. In the second case, a diagnostic work-up that includes investigations in regards to ILD etiology, such as autoimmune screening and bronchoalveolar lavage, should be performed, and possible concomitant causes of ARF have to be ruled out. Oxygen supplementation and ventilatory support need to be titrated according to the severity of ARF and patients' therapeutic options. High-Flow Nasal oxygen might potentially be an alternative to conventional oxygen therapy in patients requiring both high flows and high oxygen concentrations to correct hypoxemia and control dyspnea, however the evidence is still scarce. Neither Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) nor Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (IMV) seem to change the poor outcomes associated to advanced stages of ILDs. However, in selected patients, such as those with less severe ARF, a NIV trial might help in the early recognition of NIV-responder patients, who may present a better short-term prognosis. More invasive techniques, including IMV and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, should be limited to patients listed for lung transplant or with reversible causes of ARF. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the overall poor prognosis of ARF in ILDs, a personalized approach may positively influence patients' management, possibly leading to improved outcomes. However, further studies are warranted.

Avoiding misdiagnosis in patients with dyspnea and wheezing: a case report illustrating the clinical implications of fixation error.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma is a heterogeneous respiratory condition which can be mimicked by a wide range of pathologies including upper airways stenosis. The accurate diagnosis of asthma, as with other conditions, may be influenced by fixation errors, which are common in medicine and occur when a physician concentrates on only one element of a clinical case without considering other relevant aspects. Here we report a challenging case characterized by the contemporaneous presence of a common disease, asthma, together with a rare respiratory disease, idiopathic tracheal stenosis. CASE PRESENTATION: The 56-year-old female patient, a former smoker, was referred to our outpatient clinic for exertional dyspnea and persistent wheezing. There were no other respiratory or systemic symptoms over the past three months, and a psychological component was suspected. Spirometry with flow-volume evaluation and bronchoscopy were the key elements to establish the diagnoses and provide treatments. Once the diagnosis of asthma was confirmed, the combination of the anti-inflammatory corticosteroid fluticasone and the rapid-acting bronchodilator formoterol in a single inhaler effectively controlled the patient's symptoms, confirming the favorable efficacy and safety profile which are reflected in the recommendations of the international guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: In this paper we describe the clinical investigations and interventions that eventually confirmed a diagnosis of asthma complicated by an idiopathic tracheal stenosis and led to effective treatment of the patient. Awareness of fixation error may avoid misdiagnosis in patients with respiratory disease and a complicated history at presentation.

Point-of-Care Lung Sonography: An Audit of 1150 Examinations.

OBJECTIVES: Point-of-care lung sonography has theoretical usefulness in numerous diseases; however clinical indications and the impact of this technique have not been fully investigated. We aimed to describe the current use of point-of-care lung sonography. METHODS: A 2-year prospective observational study was performed by pulmonologists in an Italian university hospital. Techniques, indications, consequences of lung sonography, and barriers to the examination were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 1150 lung sonographic examinations were performed on 951 patients. The most common indications were diagnosis and follow-up of pleural effusion in 361 cases (31%), evaluation of lung consolidation (322 [28%]), acute heart failure (195 [17%]), guide to pleural procedures (117 [10%]), pneumothorax (54 [5%]) and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (30 [3%]). The mean duration of the examination ± SD was 6 ± 4 minutes. The transducers most frequently used were convex (746 [65%]) and linear (161 [14%]), whereas in 205 examinations (18%), both transducers were used. According to the judgment of the caring clinician, 51% of the examinations were clinically relevant. CONCLUSIONS: Point-of-care lung sonography performed by pulmonologists is quick and feasible and could be widely used for different clinical indications with a potentially high clinical impact. The widespread use of this technique may have a relevant clinical impact in several indications.

A Review of the Ultrasound Assessment of Diaphragmatic Function in Clinical Practice.

Ultrasonography is the only non-invasive, non-ionizing imaging technique widely available to directly assess diaphragmatic function. Two different sonographic approaches permit the assessment of muscle thickening in the zone of apposition and excursion of the dome of the diaphragm. Thanks to the new hand-held ultrasound instruments, the morphology and function of the diaphragm can be assessed in different settings, such as outpatient clinic, pulmonary function test laboratory, hospital department and intensive care unit, and under different conditions. Despite the existence of different acoustic views and several codified approaches, a comprehensive sonographic examination has never been standardized for clinical use. In this review, we summarize the clinical indications, methods and perspectives of the technique in adults.

Asthma and respiratory physiology: putting lung function into perspective.

Bronchial asthma is a chronic disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation and remodelling. The hypothesis that the illness is inflammatory in nature has recently been challenged by studies showing that airway smooth muscle (ASM) plays a more important role than previously thought. For example, it is now known that in asthma patients, ASM proliferates more and faster than in healthy subjects, carries intrinsic defects and exhibits impaired relaxation, increased velocity of shortening, plastic adaptation to short length and perturbed equilibrium of actin-to-myosin during cycling. Similar conclusions can be drawn from studies on airway mechanics. For instance, in asthma, abnormal ASM contributes to limiting the response to deep lung stretching and accelerates the return of bronchial tone to baseline conditions, and contributes to increased airway stiffness. Upon stimulation, ASM causes airway narrowing that is heterogeneous across the lung and variable over time. This heterogeneity leads to patchy ventilation. Experimental studies have shown that patchy ventilation may precipitate an asthma attack, and inability to maintain bronchial tone control over time can predict the occurrence of bronchospastic attacks over a matter of a few days. To improve our knowledge on the pathogenesis of asthma, we believe that it is necessary to explore the disease within the framework of the topographical, volume and time domains of the lung that play an important role in setting the severity and progression of the disease. Application of the forced oscillation technique and multiple breath nitrogen washout may, alone or in combination, help address questions unsolvable until now.

Can lung ultrasound replace chest radiography for the diagnosis of pneumonia in hospitalized children?

BACKGROUND: Lung ultrasound is a non-radiating accurate alternative tool to chest X-ray (CXR) in the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to define the accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of CAP in children. METHODS: 107 consecutive children with suspected CAP underwent clinical examination, blood sample analysis, CXR and lung ultrasound on admission to the Pediatric Department of the San Paolo Hospital. The diagnosis of pneumonia was made by an independent committee of physicians on the basis of the overall clinical and CXR data. RESULTS: The diagnosis of CAP was confirmed by the committee in 81 patients (76%). Ultrasound and CXR were performed in all patients. Ultrasound had a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 96%, while CXR showed a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 94%. In patients with CAP, ultrasound revealed subpleural consolidations with air bronchogram in 70 cases and focal B-lines in 6. A parapneumonic pleural effusion was detected in 17 patients by ultrasound, while only 11 of them could be detected by CXR. CONCLUSIONS: In our series, lung ultrasound was highly accurate for the diagnosis of CAP in hospitalized children. These results provide the rationale for a multicenter study in children.

Rapid on-site evaluation improves needle aspiration sensitivity in the diagnosis of central lung cancers: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Few prospective studies have evaluated the role of endobronchial needle aspiration in diagnosing central airways neoplasms. Rapid on-site evaluation has long been used in transbronchial needle aspiration of adenopathies and peripheral lesions, but its role in sampling central malignancies has not been substantiated yet. OBJECTIVES: In this study we evaluated if endobronchial needle aspiration may increase the sensitivity of bronchoscopy for diagnosing central airways neoplasms when added to conventional diagnostic methods (forceps biopsy, brushing and bronchial washing), and if rapid on-site evaluation may be beneficial in patients undergoing endobronchial needle aspiration. METHODS: 125 patients (77% males, aged 70 ± 7 years; mean ± SD) with central lung cancers were randomized to undergo bronchoscopy including conventional diagnostic methods and needle aspiration, with or without rapid on-site evaluation, stratifying the patients on the basis of the neoplasm growth pattern (exophytic and submucosal/peribronchial disease). RESULTS: Needle aspiration significantly increased the sensitivity of bronchoscopy when added to conventional methods (from 76 to 91%; p < 0.001), primarily resulting from differences in submucosal/peribronchial diseases (68 vs. 90%; p < 0.001) and independently from the presence of rapid on-site evaluation; needle aspiration guided by rapid on-site evaluation guaranteed a higher improvement in bronchoscopy sensitivity than conventional needle aspiration (98 vs. 84%, respectively; p = 0.004). Needle aspiration guided by rapid on-site evaluation showed a significantly higher sensitivity than the conventional method (97 vs. 76%, respectively; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Needle aspiration increases the sensitivity of bronchoscopy in diagnosing central airways malignancies when added to conventional diagnostic methods, with a further significant improvement when guided by rapid on-site evaluation.

Long COVID in Children: A Multidisciplinary Review.

Long COVID syndrome has emerged as a long-lasting consequence of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults. In addition, children may be affected by Long COVID, with potential clinical issues in different fields, including problems in school performance and daily activities. Yet, the pathophysiologic bases of Long COVID in children are largely unknown, and it is difficult to predict who will develop the syndrome. In this multidisciplinary clinical review, we summarise the latest scientific data regarding Long COVID and its impact on children. Special attention is given to diagnostic tests, in order to help the physicians to find potential disease markers and quantify impairment. Specifically, we assess the respiratory, upper airways, cardiac, neurologic and motor and psychological aspects. Finally, we also propose a multidisciplinary clinical approach.

Salmeterol improves fluid clearance from alveolar-capillary membrane in COPD patients: a pilot study.

UNLABELLED: The cardiovascular component associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) plays a major role in disease prognosis, accounting for 25% of the deaths. Experimental and initial clinical data suggest that beta-adrenergic agonists accelerate fluid clearance from the alveolar airspace, with potentially positive effects on cardiogenic and noncardiogenic pulmonary oedema. This pilot study investigated the acute effects of the long-acting beta-2 agonist, salmeterol, on alveolar fluid clearance after rapid saline intravenous infusion by evaluating diffusive and mechanical lung properties. Ten COPD and 10 healthy subjects were treated with salmeterol or placebo 4 h before the patient's mechanical and diffusive lung properties were measured during four non consecutive days, just before and after a rapid saline infusion, or during a similar period without an infusion. RESULTS: In both COPD and healthy subjects, rapid saline infusion with placebo or salmeterol premedication lead to a significant decrease in diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). Nonetheless, salmeterol pretreatment lead to a significantly reduced gas exchange impairment caused by saline infusion (-64% of DLCO reduction compared with placebo), whereas it did not affect changes in FEV1. In the control setting with no infusion, we found no significant change in either DLCO or mechanical properties of the lung. CONCLUSIONS: Salmeterol appears to provide a protective effect, not related to bronchodilation, against an acute alveolar fluid clearance challenge secondary to lung fluid overload in COPD patients.