Top pulmonology news from September: Updates on vaping-related lung injuries, COPD treatment, sleep medicine

Healio Pulmonology has you covered. The Editors have compiled a list of the most popular articles posted on Healio Pulmonology in September.

See below for links to information from CDC and the FDA on the outbreak of lung injuries associated with electronic cigarette use, FDA’s approval of nintedanib for systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease, C-reactive protein testing in patients with COPD and more.

Investigation into vaping-related lung injuries intensifies

As the number of confirmed and probable cases of lung injury associated with electronic cigarette use, or vaping, surges, CDC, FDA and state health departments have scaled up their joint investigation into identifying the cause of this outbreak, officials said during a CDC telebriefing.

For the most current information on e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury, read more here .

FDA approves nintedanib for systemic sclerosis-associated ILD

The FDA has approved nintedanib capsules to slow the rate of decline in pulmonary function in adults with interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis or scleroderma, according to a press release. Read more

Q&A: Promise of C-reactive protein testing in COPD

A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that using a point-of-care C-reactive protein test to guide treatment for COPD exacerbations in primary care lessened the use of antibiotics without worsening outcomes for patients. Christopher C. Butler, FMedSci, discussed the findings as well as some of the larger issues surrounding antibiotic use in patients with COPD. Read more

FDA warns Juul about marketing practices

The FDA has issued a warning letter to Juul Labs for marketing its products as modified risk tobacco products, without an appropriate FDA order in effect, through labeling, advertising and other activities directed to consumers, including a presentation given to youth at a school, according to an agency press release. Read more

ETHOS: Fixed triple-combination therapy reduces COPD exacerbations

New data from the ETHOS trial showed that triple-combination therapy with budesonide, glycopyrronium and formoterol at two different budesonide doses reduced exacerbations in patients with moderate to very severe COPD, according to a manufacturer press release. Read more

Best step-up therapy for black children with uncontrolled asthma up for debate

In a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, nearly half of black children with uncontrolled asthma fared better with an increased dose of glucocorticoids, as compared with the addition of a long-acting beta agonist to low-dose glucocorticoids. Read more

Personalized treatment for ARDS: Ready for prime time?

Abhijit Duggal, MD, director of critical care research in the medical intensive care unit and associate program director of critical care fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, and assistant professor of medicine at the Lerner School of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, shares his perspective on the LIVE trial, which was published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Read more

BP increases with severity of OSA in resistant hypertension

Obstructive sleep apnea is highly prevalent and more severe disease appears to be associated with higher blood pressure among patients with resistant hypertension, a recent study suggests. Read more

Opiates linked to escalation of care in patients with heart failure at high risk for sleep-disordered breathing

In-hospital opiate use is associated with an increased likelihood of escalation of care in adults with acute heart failure who are at high-risk for sleep-disordered breathing, a recent study suggests. Read more

Pulmonary nodules common in 9/11 responders

More than half of World Trade Center responders with available CT scans had evidence of pulmonary nodules, a recent study shows. Read more