Awareness of respiratory syncytial virus and other respiratory disease vaccines among healthcare professionals and their patients in Italy: Insights from a literature review and a web-based survey.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes respiratory infections across all ages, with an increasingly recognized burden in older adults, particularly those with comorbidities. Despite the recent licensure of RSV vaccines, awareness of RSV and other respiratory disease vaccinations remains limited. We conducted a literature review and a web-based survey to explore the awareness of RSV and respiratory disease vaccinations among Italian healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients.

Enhanced detection of patients with previous COVID-19: superiority of the double diffusion technique.

Background: Persistent pulmonary dysfunction is common after COVID-19, yet traditional assessments using carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) alone may miss alveolar-capillary impairment.

Objective: To determine whether combining nitric oxide (DLNO) and carbon monoxide (DLCO) diffusing capacities enhances detection of post-COVID-19 lung impairment and whether summed -scores outperform individual measures in classifying affected individuals.

Design And Methods: We conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis using hierarchical mixed-effects modelling.

Pulmonary diffusing capacity and dyspnoea following COVID-19: Insights from multicentre datasets.

Pulmonary complications remain a significant challenge for COVID-19 survivors, necessitating advanced diagnostic approaches for long-term assessment. We present a curated, open-access dataset of pulmonary function measurements-including nitric oxide (DLNO) and carbon monoxide (DLCO) diffusing capacities-in 572 post-COVID-19 patients and 72 healthy controls (filtered from an original cohort of 726 survivors and 126 controls). Collected across eight international centres, the data include demographics, spirometry, lung volumes, and 5-6 s single-breath DLNO, DLCO, and alveolar volume (VA).

ARIA-Italy multidisciplinary consensus on nasal polyposis and biological treatments: Update 2025.

In recent years, it was recognized that type-2 inflammation connects nasal polyposis and severe asthma (SA) in addition to other type-2 diseases. Thus, some biological drugs developed for SA appeared to exert a favourable effect also in nasal polyposis. So far, there are several trials supporting this concept; therefore, some monoclonal antibodies already used for SA were assessed also in chronic rhinosinusistis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), with promising results.

Single-Inhaler Triple Therapy in Primary Care Across Europe: Expert Panel Consensus on the Consequences of Payer-Driven Access Rules and Call to Action.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent condition characterized by persistent airflow obstruction and respiratory symptoms. Single-Inhaler Triple Therapy (SITT) has been shown to improve patient adherence, reduce exacerbations, and lower healthcare resource utilization in patients who are not controlled despite being on dual therapy or Multiple-Inhaler Triple Therapy (MITT). Despite evidence supporting SITT, payer-driven access rules across Europe sometimes limit its use in primary care, creating barriers to optimal COPD management.

Durability of benralizumab effectiveness in severe eosinophilic asthma patients with and without chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: a analysis from the ANANKE study.

Introduction: Severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) often co-occurs with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), worsening asthma symptoms. Earlier studies have shown that benralizumab improves asthma outcomes with greater efficacy if patients present CRSwNP.

Methods: This analysis of the ANANKE study (NCT04272463) reports data on the long-term effectiveness of benralizumab between SEA patients with and without CRSwNP ( = 86 and  = 75, respectively) treated for up to 96 weeks.

Vaccination Strategies in Respiratory Diseases: Recommendation from AIPO-ITS/ETS, SIMIT, SIP/IRS, and SItI.

Background: Chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and bronchiectasis, are significant global health concerns associated with recurrent exacerbations, hospitalization, and increased mortality. Preventive strategies, particularly vaccination, play a crucial role in managing these diseases by reducing infection-related exacerbations and stabilizing lung function.

Summary: This review summarizes the recommendations provided by four major Italian scientific societies on vaccination against key respiratory pathogens, including respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, SARS-CoV-2, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and varicella zoster virus, which pose serious risks to individuals with chronic respiratory conditions.

Proposal of a New Composite Score (DAMADECO) to Simultaneously Evaluate Asthma and CRSwNP Severity in Comorbid Patients.

: Asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) are chronic respiratory conditions that frequently coexist. However, an integrated assessment tool for both conditions is currently lacking. This study aimed to develop and preliminarily evaluate a composite score capable of simultaneously assessing asthma and CRSwNP in comorbid patients.

Small airway dysfunction mediates the relationship between Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide and asthma control.

Background: Most physiological production of Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) occurs in the small airways, but studies on the relationship between FeNO and small airway dysfunction (SAD) in asthma are scant.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between asthma control, changes of FeNO in relation to airway bronchodilation (BD), and SAD.

Methods: Baseline conventional spirometry, impulse oscillometry, and FeNO pre- and post-BD (salbutamol 400 μg) were tested on consecutive community-treated adult patients with asthma.

Clinical characteristics, use and switch of drugs for obstructive airway diseases among patients with COPD experiencing an exacerbation: a retrospective analysis of Italian administrative healthcare data.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents an important health challenge, despite being preventable and manageable thanks to up-to-date recommendations. In Italy, the pharmaceutical care of COPD patients is still ill-timed and inaccurate. This study aimed to describe the treatment of COPD patients in Italy and possible switches following an exacerbation.

Perception and knowledge of general practitioners on COPD management according to the GOLD23 document and reimbursement criteria for drugs prescription: an e-Delphi study.

Background: COPD management and therapy have been periodically revised to support a more patient-specific approach. Several concerns remain in primary care, such as the proper choice of initial treatment, medication adherence, and missing values for spirometry investigations. These concerns may be exacerbated by inconsistencies between the GOLD23 report and reimbursement criteria, as per the Italian NOTA99, especially for what concerns the assessment of disease severity and related treatment choice.

Mechanical power during robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: an observational study.

Background: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) requires pneumoperitoneum and steep Trendelenburg position. Our aim was to investigate the influence of the combination of pneumoperitoneum and Trendelenburg position on mechanical power and its components during RALP.

Methods: Sixty-one prospectively enrolled patients scheduled for RALP were studied in supine position before surgery, during pneumoperitoneum and Trendelenburg position and in supine position after surgery at constant ventilatory setting.

Asthma remission one, none and one-hundred thousand: the relevance of the patient's view.

Objective: Achieving remission in severe asthma holds paramount importance in elevating patient quality of life and reducing both individual and societal burdens associated with this chronic condition. This study centers on identifying pivotal patient-relevant endpoints through standardized, reproducible methods, while also developing a patient-centric definition of remission, essential for effective disease management.

Methods: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted to assess patients' perceptions on the four primary criteria for defining severe asthma remission, as outlined by the SANI survey.

Development and validation of a prediction score to assess the risk of incurring in COPD-related exacerbations: a population-based study in primary care.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth most important cause of death in high-income countries. Inappropriate use of COPD inhaled therapy, including the low adherence (only 10 %-40 % of patients reporting an adequate compliance) may shrink or even nullify the proven benefits of these medications. As such, an accurate prediction algorithm to assess at national level the risk of COPD exacerbation might be relevant for general practictioners (GPs) to improve patient's therapy.

Living Donor Lung Transplantation After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation From the Same Donor: A Risk Worth Taking.

Living donor (LD) lung transplantation (LT) represents an exceptional procedure in Western countries. However, in selected situations, it could be a source of unique advantages, besides addressing organ shortage. We report a successful case of father-to-child single-lobe LT, because of the complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from the same donor, with initial low-dose immunosuppressive therapy and subsequent early discontinuation.

Gas exchange abnormalities in Long COVID are driven by the alteration of the vascular component.

Background: There are uncertainties whether the impairment of lung diffusing capacity in COVID-19 is due to an alteration in the diffusive conductance of the alveolar membrane (Dm), or an alteration of the alveolar capillary volume (Vc), or a combination of both. The combined measurement DLNO and DLCO diffusion, owing to NO higher affinity and faster reaction rate with haemoglobin compared to CO, enables the simultaneous and rapid determination of both Vc and Dm. The aim of the present study was to better identify the precise cause of post-COVID-19 diffusion impairment.

Sustained Effectiveness of Benralizumab in Naïve and Biologics-Experienced Severe Eosinophilic Asthma Patients: Results from the ANANKE Study.

Purpose: Severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) patients often present overlapping inflammatory features rendering them eligible for multiple biologic therapies; switching biologic treatment is a strategy adopted to optimize asthma control when patients show partial or no response to previous biologics.

Patients And Methods: ANANKE is a retrospective, multicenter Italian study (NCT04272463). Here, we outline the characteristics and long-term clinical outcomes in naïve-to-biologics and biologics-experienced patients treated with benralizumab for up to 96 weeks.

Exacerbation Burden in COPD and Occurrence of Mortality in a Cohort of Italian Patients: Results of the Gulp Study.

Objective: To describe the burden of moderate to severe exacerbations and all-cause mortality; the secondary objectives were to analyze treatment patterns and changes over follow-up.

Design: Observational, multicenter, retrospective, cohort study with a three year follow-up period.

Setting: Ten Italian academic secondary- and tertiary-care centers.

Vaccination Recommendations in Solid Organ Transplant Adult Candidates and Recipients.

Prevention of infections is crucial in solid organ transplant (SOT) candidates and recipients. These patients are exposed to an increased infectious risk due to previous organ insufficiency and to pharmacologic immunosuppression. Besides infectious-related morbidity and mortality, this vulnerable group of patients is also exposed to the risk of acute decompensation and organ rejection or failure in the pre- and post-transplant period, respectively, since antimicrobial treatments are less effective than in the immunocompetent patients.

Oscillometry in severe asthma: the state of the art and future perspectives.

Introduction: Approximately 3-10% of people with asthma have severe asthma (SA). Patients with SA have greater impairment in daily life and much higher costs. Even if asthma affects the entire bronchial tree, small airways have been recognized as the major site of airflow limitation.

SARS-CoV-2 infection sequelae on exercise response: persistent or reversible? A 2-year perspective.

https://bit.ly/3qFd97x.

Long-term effectiveness of benralizumab in severe eosinophilic asthma patients treated for 96-weeks: data from the ANANKE study.

Background: The efficacy of benralizumab has been broadly demonstrated in severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA), but only few real-life studies evaluated its long-term effects. Here we present novel data from the ANANKE study in which a large cohort of SEA patients was treated for up to 96 weeks.

Methods: ANANKE (NCT04272463) is an observational retrospective Italian study investigating the key characteristics of SEA patients (collected during the 12 months prior to benralizumab initiation) and the clinical outcomes during benralizumab treatment (annual exacerbation rate [AER], lung function, asthma control, OCS use, healthcare resource utilization).