Profile of mild/moderate asthma patients: Baseline data from the MANI cohort.

Although 90% of asthmatic patients suffer from mild and moderate disease, little is known about the burden on health status and quality of life, the long-term trajectory of disease severity, and the socio-economic impact. The Mild Moderated Asthma Network of Italy (MANI) is a real-world, cross-sectional, prospective, observational cohort study designed to explore these issues. Here we aimed to provide an identikit of asthmatic patients receiving treatment according to GINA steps 1-4, and enrolled in the centers of excellence participating in the MANI.

Effects of asymmetric nasal high-flow cannula on carbon dioxide in hypercapnic patients: A randomised crossover physiological pilot study.

Nasal high flow (NHF) therapy is an established form of non invasive respiratory support used in acute and chronic care. Recently, a new high flow nasal cannula with asymmetric prongs was approved for clinical use. The clinical benefits of the new cannula have not yet been defined and no evidence are available on the use of asymmetric NHF support in patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

COPD Exacerbation: Why It Is Important to Avoid ICU Admission.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Hospitalization due to acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) is a relevant health problem both for its impact on disease outcomes and on health system resources. Severe AECOPD causing acute respiratory failure (ARF) often requires admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) with endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation.

Effects of non-invasive respiratory supports on inspiratory effort in moderate-severe COVID-19 patients. A randomized physiological study.

Rationale And Objective: Various forms of Non-invasive respiratory support (NRS) have been used during COVID-19, to treat Hypoxemic Acute Respiratory Failure (HARF), but it has been suggested that the occurrence of strenuous inspiratory efforts may cause Self Induced Lung Injury(P-SILI). The aim of this investigation was to record esophageal pressure, when starting NRS application, so as to better understand the potential risk of the patients in terms of P-SILI and ventilator induced lung injury (VILI).

Methods And Measurements: 21 patients with early de-novo respiratory failure due to COVID-19, underwent three 30 min trials applied in random order: high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and non-invasive ventilation (NIV).

Spontaneous Evolution of COVID-19 Lung Sequelae: Results from a Double-Step Follow-Up.

Background: Few studies have reported a double-step follow-up of patients after hospitalization for COVID-19.

Objectives: We designed an observational double-step follow-up study with a clinical, functional, and radiological evaluation at 2 and 6 months after COVID-19. The primary outcome was to describe symptoms, spirometry, and 6-minute walking test (6MWT) at 2 and 6 months.

Health-related quality of life profiles, trajectories, persistent symptoms and pulmonary function one year after ICU discharge in invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients, a prospective follow-up study.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) impairment is often reported among COVID-19 ICU survivors, and little is known about their long-term outcomes. We evaluated the HRQoL trajectories between 3 months and 1 year after ICU discharge, the factors influencing these trajectories and the presence of clusters of HRQoL profiles in a population of COVID-19 patients who underwent invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Moreover, pathophysiological correlations of residual dyspnea were tested.

Sleep features in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis and their relationship with disease severity: a pilot study.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare pulmonary disease characterized by progressive airflow limitation. We conducted a pilot trial to investigate the incidence of sleep disorders, sleep quality and their relationship with disease severity. We performed pulmonary function tests, blood gas analysis, overnight 12-channels polysomnography and clinical assessments in 15 consecutive LAM patients.

Standardizing PaO2 for PaCO2 in P/F ratio predicts in-hospital mortality in acute respiratory failure due to Covid-19: A pilot prospective study.

Introduction: Up to fifteen percent of patients with novel pandemic coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have acute respiratory failure (ARF). Ratio between arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), P/F, is currently used as a marker of ARF severity in Covid-19. P/F does not reflect the respiratory efforts made by patients to maintain arterial blood oxygenation, such as tachypnea and hyperpnea, leading to hypocapnia.

COVID-19 Pneumonia and ROX index: Time to set a new threshold for patients admitted outside the ICU.

Unlabelled: High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is used to treat acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) even outside the ICU and the ROX index (pulse oximetry/fraction of inspired oxygen/respiratory rate) may predict HFNC failure.

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was therefore to verify whether the ROX index is an accurate predictor of HFNC failure for COVID-19 patients treated outside the intensive care unit (ICU) and to evaluate the validity of the previously suggested threshold.

Design: Multicenter study.

Early awake proning in critical and severe COVID-19 patients undergoing noninvasive respiratory support: A retrospective multicenter cohort study.

Background/materials And Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in two teaching hospitals over a 3-month period (March 2010-June 2020) comparing severe and critical COVID-19 patients admitted to Respiratory Intensive Care Unit for non-invasive respiratory support (NRS) and subjected to awake prone position (PP) with those receiving standard care (SC). Primary outcome was endotracheal intubation (ETI) rate. In-hospital mortality, time to ETI, tracheostomy, length of RICU and hospital stay served as secondary outcomes.

Intrinsic Dynamic Positive End-Expiratory Pressure in Stable Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Assessment of intrinsic dynamic positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEPi,dyn) may be clinically important in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but epidemiological data are scant.

Objectives: The aim of our study was (i) to assess the PEEPi,dyn in a large population of stable patients with COPD and (ii) to evaluate the correlations with some noninvasive measurements routinely assessed.

Method: Retrospective analysis of lung mechanics, dynamic volumes, arterial blood gases, dyspnoea by means of the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale, the COPD Assessment Test score, and maximal inspiratory/expiratory pressures in 87 hypercapnic and 62 normocapnic patients.

Colon Sarcoidosis Mimicking Cancer at 18F-FDG PET/CT.

This 68-year-old woman with a 9-year history of skin sarcoidosis presented with abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea. Following positive occult fecal blood, a diagnosis of ascending colon sarcoidosis was pathologically confirmed after colonoscopy. FDG PET/CT was performed for sarcoid staging, and the ascending colon demonstrated the only focal site of active sarcoidosis (SUVmax = 10).

Effects of high-flow nasal cannula in patients with persistent hypercapnia after an acute COPD exacerbation: a prospective pilot study.

Background: Persistent hypercapnia after COPD exacerbation is associated with excess mortality and early rehospitalization. High Flow Nasal cannula (HFNC), may be theoretically an alternative to long-term noninvasive ventilation (NIV), since physiological studies have shown a reduction in PaCO2 level after few hours of treatment. In this clinical study we assessed the acceptability of HFNC and its effectiveness in reducing the level of PaCO in patients recovering from an Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure (AHRF) episode.

Noninvasive ventilation and renal replacement therapy in do-not-intubate order critically ill patients: A brief report.

Introduction: Multiple organ failure has been considered a contraindication for noninvasive ventilation (NIV).

Materials And Methods: We described the outcome of Do-not-Intubate (DNI) patients with acute respiratory failure, treated with NIV and, subsequently, necessitating renal replacement therapy (RRT).

Results And Discussion: Seven patients admitted to our Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, developed Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) during NIV treatment and received RRT for 12.

Small cell lung cancer transformation and the T790M mutation: A case report of two acquired mechanisms of TKI resistance detected in a tumor rebiopsy and plasma sample of EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma.

The present study describes the case of a 45-year-old man diagnosed with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma, which harbored a deletion within exon 19 of the epidermal growth factor receptor () gene. The patient was subsequently treated with gefitinib (250 mg/day orally from May 2013 to March 2014), but developed acquired resistance to the drug following 11 months of treatment. Tumor burden molecular analysis was performed on a tumor rebiopsy and plasma sample, and histological analysis was also performed on the tumor rebiopsy.