High-concentration oxygen caused hypoventilation in asthma exacerbation pts...
Even my neighbor’s cat knows that giving high-concentration oxygen to people with COPD and acute hypercapneic respiratory failure can cause them to hypoventilate further, causing life-threatening...
View ArticleDo oral beta-blockers really exacerbate asthma?
Morales et al queried a database of 53,994 UK asthma patients, finding 1527 who were prescribed beta blockers, 441 with a brand-new prescription. The rate of oral steroid use in the 2 weeks prior to...
View ArticleSurprise: Bronchoconstriction (not just inflammation) causes airway...
Grainge et al collected bronchial biopsies from 48 allergic asthmatics, then randomly gave them either inhaled dust mite allergen; methacholine; saline (control); or albuterol followed by methacholine...
View ArticlePeople with asthma perceive snake oil to work as well as albuterol (RCT, NEJM)
Wechsler et al randomized and crossed-over 39 subjects with stable asthma to sequentially receive treatment with 1) albuterol; 2) fake albuterol; 3) fake acupuncture, or 4) nothing. Although albuterol...
View ArticleBig bucks riding on FDA’s little dosing decision for indacaterol (NEJM)
In July 2011, FDA approved indacaterol, Novartis’s new once-daily long-acting beta agonist, for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In contrast to its European counterpart (EMA),...
View ArticleAllergic rhinitis update (Review/Guideline, Lancet)
Allergic rhinitis is mostly just an annoyance for 400 million people worldwide, but the condition can predispose to frequent upper respiratory infections, and worsen asthma; Alexander Greiner et al...
View ArticleGSK’s new once-daily inhaled fluticasone product worked in Phase 2 trial...
GlaxoSmithKline has a new once-daily inhaled corticosteroid called fluticasone furoate; it has enhanced affinity for glucocorticoid receptors and a longer duration of action compared to the...
View ArticleRefractory asthma: Bronchoscopy may guide effective therapy (CHEST)
(Comments by first author James T. Good follow this post.) For 58 patients with refractory asthma at National Jewish, James Good et al devised a systematic, bronchoscopy-driven approach that they feel...
View ArticleCost shifting of asthma meds to patients had little effect on adherence,...
(image: flickrCC) Health insurance plans are shifting an increasing portion of costs for prescription medications onto patients. A recent study in JAMA concluded that such cost shifting decreased...
View ArticleAcetaminophen causes childhood asthma, researcher argues
(image: flickrCC) Is acetaminophen responsible for the worldwide rise in childhood asthma over the past 30 years? Citing a mounting pile of circumstantial evidence from epidemiologic observational...
View ArticleBronchodilator reversibility testing in COPD: Bill for it, but don’t believe it
(image: flickrCC) Why do we test chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients for bronchodilator responsiveness (besides getting to charging a few extra bucks for it)? If I am reading this...
View ArticleSingulair (montelukast) goes generic (FDA)
The FDA announced earlier this month that it granted approval to 10 generic manufacturers to produce and market generic forms of montelukast, sold by Merck since its approval in 1998 as Singulair....
View ArticleGabapentin worked for chronic cough — thank goodness, something did (RCT)
Chronic cough is the scourge both of the coughers themselves, and the doctors who treat them. Although rarely medically serious, chronic cough can be surprisingly debilitating by disrupting sufferers’...
View ArticleLong-acting beta agonist safety for asthma (Review)
Just How “Dangerous” Are Long-Acting Beta-Agonists, Really? Gustavo Rodriguez and Jose Castro-Rodriguez reviewed 20 systematic reviews and databases reporting on the incidence of adverse events with...
View ArticleModerate pot smokers’ lung function better than nonsmokers
Smoking marijuana moderately over years is strongly associated with small improvements in lung function, even compared to people who have never smoked cigarettes or marijuana, according to a study in...
View ArticleLansoprazole didn’t help kids with uncontrolled asthma (RCT)
Proton Pump Inhibitors No Help for Kids’ Asthma Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a mysterious co-conspirator with asthma. Many people with uncontrolled asthma have reflux (either symptomatic by...
View ArticleAdding tiotropium (Spiriva) helped some with uncontrolled asthma (RCT)
Spiriva (Tiotropium) for Uncontrolled Asthma Most people with asthma can achieve good control with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA). Some people living with asthma,...
View ArticleAt treating asthma, patients may be as good as their doctors (BASALT trial)
Consensus guidelines advise that patients with regular symptoms of asthma should take inhaled corticosteroids every day, and when they’re having poor asthma control, they should tell their doctor, who...
View ArticleInhaled corticosteroids stunt growth of America’s youth by a half-inch
Daily Inhaled Steroids Stunt Kids’ Growth, Study Shows If you’re a half-inch shy of six feet, the next time you’re getting your jump shot blocked by your non-asthmatic friend, you can blame the inhaled...
View ArticleFDA approves Breo Ellipta, a new once-daily COPD inhaler treatment
FDA Approves Breo Ellipta, Once-Daily LABA/ICS for COPD The FDA approved the new drug Breo Ellipta as a once-daily inhaled therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Breo Ellipta...
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