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Top Medical News
The use of inhaled corticosteroids in the treatment of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder is associated with an increased risk of tracheobronchomalacia, according to a study.
Community-acquired pneumonia is common among elderly adults and is associated with a high mortality risk, a recent US study has shown.
The presence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in individuals with systemic sclerosis is associated with an increased mortality risk, a study from Singapore showed.
Delafloxacin appears noninferior to moxifloxacin in the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP), according to the phase III DEFINE-CABP* study.
Children of women who had asthma exacerbations during pregnancy were more likely have respiratory disorders such as asthma and pneumonia than those whose mothers did not — suggesting that the effects of asthma exacerbations during pregnancy may transcend generations, a study finds. This was in addition to having an increased risk of adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes.
Almost three-quarters of adverse events (AEs) related to medication errors in over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications (CCMs) for paediatrics required evaluation by healthcare facility and majority of the cases were due to dosing errors, a surveillance study has found, highlighting the need for interventions to mitigate medication errors.
Awareness of the risk factors for residual apnoeic–hypopnoeic events can improve the timely delivery of personalized care for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), including the type of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, attention to comorbidities and choice of interface, a study has shown.
Special Reports
Oral H1-antihistamines are the initial treatment of choice for allergic rhinitis (AR) and chronic urticaria in the primary care setting. However, in a diverse population of patients with AR and urticaria, primary care physicians are faced with the challenge of prescribing the best therapy amid a wide armamentarium of antihistamines available.
Macrolide antibiotics are derived from the Streptomycesspecies. These contain either 14-membered (erythromycin [ERM],clarithromycin [CAM], roxithromycin [RXM]), 15-membered(azithromycin [AZM]) or 16-membered (spiramycin, josamycin,midecamycin) macrocyclic lactone rings. They inhibit proteinsynthesis by reversibly binding to the 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)in the 50s subunit of the bacterial ribosome. Traditionally,macrolides are used as first-line agents in respiratory, skin,soft tissue, and urogenital infections, and they are also activeagainst gram-positive cocci and atypical pathogens.
Pneumonia is a common infection– affecting around 3,200 people inSingapore in 2016 – making it the thirdmost common cause of hospitalisation inthe country. Its common complications,especially with delayed or inappropriatetreatment, include bacteraemia andseptic shock, lung abscesses, pleuraleffusions, empyema, pleurisy, respiratoryfailure and renal failure.
The prevalence of allergic diseases in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to rise over the next 20 years, driven by rapid economic development and urbanization. Allergic diseases have high socioeconomic impact by impairing productivity and quality of life, and the impact may be greater in Asia-Pacific than in Europe due to the presence and predominance of perennial allergens.
At a dinner symposium at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur, Professor Dato’ Prepageran Narayanan presented the data concerning allergic rhinitis (AR) in Malaysia, and he discussed the role of intranasal corticosteroids (INCSs) in managing AR.
Hypertension guidelines differ in their recommendation to use beta-blockers as first-line agents. At a Menarini-sponsored symposium held during the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Congress 2018 in Taipei, Taiwan, Professor Giuseppe Mancia from the University of Milano-Bicocca in Milan, Italy and Professor Jong-Won Ha from the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea discussed the rationale behind these recommendations, and reviewed the role of beta-blockers in hypertension management, particularly the role of vasodilatory beta-blocker nebivolol (Nebilet®, Menarini). Professor Lin Jiunn-Lee, APSC 2018 chairman and president of the Taiwan Society of Cardiology, chaired the symposium.
Airway diseases – such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnoea – have a significant impact on one’s health, quality of life and daily functioning. This article discusses how technological advancements in non-invasive ventilation and home sleep testing systems help to improve patient care and outcomes.
Conference Reports
Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) provided sustained improvements in patients with severe asthma, according to the results of the BT10+* study presented at ERS 2019.
As-needed budesonide–formoterol (ICS* + LABA**) reliever therapy was more effective than maintenance low-dose budesonide plus as-needed terbutaline (maintenance ICS + as-needed SABA***) for preventing severe exacerbations in patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, according to the PRACTICAL study presented at ERS 2019.
Antibiotic prophylaxis with azithromycin in individuals with primary antibody deficiencies (PAD) may lead to a reduced risk of respiratory exacerbations, according to a phase II trial presented at ERS 2019.
Treatment without antibiotic medication does not appear to be inferior to moxifloxacin therapy as regards treatment failure or length of stay (LOS) among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requiring hospitalization for nonpurulent exacerbation, according to the results of a study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2019.
About one-third of patients with severe asthma who are on high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are also receiving excessive doses of oral corticosteroids (OCS), reveals a study presented at the ERS 2019 Meeting.
Use of the Zephyr endobronchial valve (EBV) led to significant improvements in a range of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) including multiple domains of respiratory symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in patients with severe emphysema, according to the post hoc results of the LIBERATE* trial presented at ERS 2019.
Dr Helene Kobbernagel expounds on the role of azithromycin in primary ciliary dyskinesia in the BESTCILIA trial.
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