March 15, 2023

Electronic Monitoring Devices to Support Inhalation Technique in Patients with Asthma: a Narrative Review


Current Treatment Options in Allergy volume 10
pages28–52 (2023)

Purpose of Review

Improper inhaling technique is common and is associated with poor patient outcomes. However, digital e-health devices may offer novel opportunities for educational support. This narrative review provides an overview of electronic monitoring devices (EMDs) measuring patient inhalation technique. We summarise their technical features, capabilities and limitations and discuss the steps necessary for implementation in clinical practice.

Recent Findings

Six EMDs measuring inhalation were identified. The quality of published evidence varied widely. Devices differed in the inhalation technique steps measured, the feedback provided and the type of sensor employed.

March 14, 2023

Post-COVID dyspnea: prevalence, predictors, and outcomes in a longitudinal, prospective cohort

  • Research
  • Open Access

Background

The pathophysiology, evolution, and associated outcomes of post-COVID dyspnea remain unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, severity, and predictors of dyspnea 12 months following hospitalization for COVID-19, and to describe the respiratory, cardiac, and patient-reported outcomes in patients with post-COVID dyspnea.

Methods

We enrolled a prospective cohort of all adult patients admitted to 2 academic hospitals in Vancouver, Canada with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of COVID between March and June 2020.

Medical ID use by international patients with Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease

  • Short report
  • Open Access

Background

Patients widely use medical identification (ID) to indicate their food and drug allergies, and chronic medical conditions. One chronic condition for which patients are recommended to use a form of medical ID is Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD), a disease characterized by the presence of asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and sensitivity to aspirin and other COX-1 inhibitors, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

March 12, 2023

Long-term efficacy of HDM-SCIT in pediatric and adult patients with allergic rhinitis

  • Research
  • Open Access


Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology volume 19, Article number: 20 (2023

Abstract

Background

Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) is a well-validated and effective disease modification treatment for house dust mites (HDM)-induced allergic rhinitis (AR). Long-term post-treatment comparisons in children and adults treated with SCIT have rarely been published. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of HDM-SCIT administered under a cluster schedule in children compared to adults.

March 11, 2023

Stepping Down Treatment in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: What We Know and What We Don’t Know

  • Review Article
  • Open Access


American Journal of Clinical Dermatology (2023)

Abstract

In chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), wheals, angioedema, or both appear spontaneously for > 6 weeks. Current recommended treatment options for urticaria target mast cell mediators such as histamine, or activators, such as autoantibodies. The goal of CSU treatment is to treat the disease until it is gone as effectively and safely as possible. As no cure is available for CSU as of now, the treatment is aimed at continuously suppressing disease activity, with complete control of the disease and a normalization of quality of life. To achieve this, pharmacological treatment should be continued until no longer needed.

Childhood asthma diagnoses declined during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

  • Correspondence
  • Open Access

Abstract

Background

Prior studies have documented declines in pediatric asthma exacerbations and asthma-related health care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, but less is known about the incidence of asthma during the pandemic.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children under age 18 without a prior diagnosis of asthma within a large US commercial claims database. Incident asthma was defined using a combination of diagnosis codes, location of services, and medication dispensing.

March 9, 2023

Evaluation of Plasmapheresis vs Immunoglobulin as First Treatment After Ineffective Systemic Corticosteroid Therapy for Patients With Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Yuki Miyamoto, MD, MPH1,2; Hiroyuki Ohbe, MD, MPH2; Ryosuke Kumazawa, DPH2; et al


Key Points

Question Are the clinical outcomes of administering plasmapheresis therapy first better than those of administering intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy first after ineffective systemic corticosteroid therapy in patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN)?

Findings This retrospective cohort study of 266 inpatients with SJS/TEN found no significant difference in mortality rates between the plasmapheresis-first and the IVIG-first groups. Patients who received plasmapheresis therapy first had longer hospitalization stays and incurred higher expenses.

March 8, 2023

Calprotectin in nasal secretion: a new biomarker of non-type 2 inflammation in CRSwNP

Eugenio De Corso Silvia Baroni Maria Elisabetta Onori Laura Tricarico Stefano Settimi Giacomo Moretti Eliana Troiani Rodolfo Francesco Mastrapasqua Daniela Furno Fabrizio Crudo Andrea Urbani Jacopo Galli.

Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2022 Aug;42(4):355-363. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-N1800.

Abstract

Objective. We analysed calprotectin in sinonasal secretions of different chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) endotypes to assess its role as a biomarker of non-type 2 inflammation.

Methods. We included primary diffuse CRSwNP patients (n = 41) and three different control groups [non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) (n = 13), non-allergic eosinophilic syndrome (NARES) (n = 10) and healthy subjects (n = 12)].