Top news of October: IPF screening tool, better asthma-related quality of life, more

Healio compiled the most-read news in pulmonology posted in October.

Highlights include a new screening tool for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; the impact of adding breathing exercises to improve asthma-related quality of life; higher mortality of patients who have IPF and survived a cardiac arrest; the FDA’s approval of a drug for treating cystic fibrosis in young children; a heightened risk for lung cancer found in patients with bronchiectasis; and more.

Read these and more top stories in pulmonology below:

Novel screening tool enables earlier diagnosis of IPF

A new screening tool, the zero-burden comorbidity risk score for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, led to earlier diagnosis of IPF and improved outcomes of disease-modifying therapies and other interventions, according to published data. Read more.

Breathing exercises improve quality of life in incompletely controlled asthma

The addition of breathing exercises to usual care enhanced asthma-related quality of life in patients with incompletely controlled asthma, regardless of severity, without evidence of causing harm, according to study results. Read more.

Patients with IPF who experience in-hospital cardiac arrest face increased mortality rate

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis appeared associated with increased mortality rates and worse outcomes among in-hospital cardiac arrest survivors, according to study results presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more.

FDA expands approval of Orkambi for young children with cystic fibrosis

The FDA expanded the approval of lumacaftor and ivacaftor (Orkambi, Vertex Pharmaceuticals) to include the treatment of children with cystic fibrosis aged 1 year to younger than 2 years, according to a manufacturer-issued press release. Read more.

Bronchiectasis increases risk for lung cancer regardless of smoking history

The presence of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis increased risk for lung cancer regardless of smoking status, according to recent findings published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Read more.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor cancer therapy increases risk for sarcoidosis

Patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy may have a greater risk for sarcoidosis, according to study results presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more.

Lemborexant appears safe in adult, older patients with moderate to severe COPD

In a cohort of adult and older patients with moderate to severe COPD, 10 mg of lemborexant was associated with respiratory safety after single and multiple dosing, concluded data presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more.

Similar outcomes found between varying oxygenation targets in mechanical ventilation

Different oxygen saturation targets ranging from 90% to 98% did not significantly impact days alive without a mechanical ventilator among adults in the ICU or ED, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Read more.

ED boarding of critical care patients may increase ICU length of stay, ventilator days

Each additional minute patients spent boarded in the ED led to a 0.026% increase in ICU length of stay and a 0.023% increase in ventilator days, according to a study presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more.

Vitamin C augments concentration of alpha-tocopherol in cystic fibrosis

Among adults with cystic fibrosis, vitamin C decreased the plasma disappearance rate of alpha-tocopherol, thereby augmenting its concentrations, according to a study published in Nutrients. Read more.