Top pulmonology news in April: COVID-19 research and guidance; FDA updates

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

See below for links to features and the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, FDA news and studies on obstructive sleep apnea, pulmonary artery hypertension and more.

ATS releases interim guidance on management of COVID-19

The American Thoracic Society has released new guidance on how to approach treatment of COVID-19 during the pandemic. Despite the lack of hard evidence, the ATS international task force reported that guidance was necessary as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to climb. Therefore, the document, which is open access and available to the public, contains suggestions rather than recommendations, according to a press release. Read more

Q&A: Insight into ATS guidance for COVID-19

During a conversation with Healio Pulmonology, Kevin C. Wilson, MD, professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary, allergy, sleep and critical care medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and chief of guidelines and documents at the American Thoracic Society, discussed the process for developing the guidance, the reasoning behind specific suggestions and potential questions for future updates. Read more

Study further characterizes critical illness in COVID-19

A new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine has offered further characterization of critically ill patients with COVID-19 who received treatment in the Seattle region. Read more

Coinfections may be more common in COVID-19 than previously reported

The rate of coinfection with other respiratory pathogens in patients with COVID-19 may be higher than previously thought, according to a research letter published in JAMA. Read more

Clinical presentation differs with COVID-19-, H1N1-related ARDS

Among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, those with COVID-19, as compared with influenza A H1N1-related pneumonia, had different clinical manifestations of the disease and also appeared to have less severity of disease and lower adjusted mortality, researchers reported in Chest. Read more

Undiagnosed OSA may worsen COPD outcomes

Patients hospitalized for COPD exacerbations who were also found to have undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea had an increased likelihood for subsequent death or hospital readmission, researchers reported in Chest. Read more

FDA approves first Proventil HFA generic for bronchospasm

The FDA has approved the first generic of Proventil HFA metered-dose inhaler — albuterol sulfate — for treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in reversible obstructive airway disease and prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm in patients aged at least 4 years. Read more

Q&A: Critical care and the COVID-19 pandemic

In an interview with Healio Pulmonology, 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, offered insight into how his institution is managing patients with COVID-19 and discussed his major concerns as the pandemic unfolds. Read more

Ultrasound pulmonary denervation reduces pulmonary vascular resistance in PAH

Among patients with pulmonary artery hypertension, intravascular ultrasound pulmonary artery denervation was associated with reductions in pulmonary vascular resistance and increases in 6-minute walk distance and daily activity, according to an early feasibility study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. Read more

Asthma, airway hyperactivity, upper airway disorder should be tested post-deployment

Among military personnel, post-deployment pulmonary evaluation should target asthma and airway hyperactivity as well as include upper airway disorder testing, according to a prospective study published in Chest. Read more