In a general adolescent population, we investigated the bronchoconstriction profile to exercise challenge test using dry air ventilation to diagnose EIB. Half of the subjects with EIB had their greatest decline in FEV₁ within 10 min after exercise while the other half had a more delayed response (15–30 min).

Serum periostin is a biomarker of eosinophilic inflammation and remodeling in asthma, and a course of inhaled corticosteroid therapy reduces serum periostin levels and is associated with improvement of airflow limitation.

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We evaluated the use of nasal epithelial cells (NEC) as surrogate of bronchial epithelial cells (BEC) for rhinovirus (RV) studies. We found that NEC are a suitable alternative cellular system to BEC to study the pathophysiology of RV infections and particularly to investigate interferon responses induced by RV infection.

Delirium, as assessed through the CAM-ICU on the day of the first weaning trial, was independently associated with weaning difficulties and resulted in prolonged mechanical ventilation. Delirious patients had a higher risk of extubation failure and reintubation, even if they had been successfully weaned from MV and subsequently extubated.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) reduced the time needed to identify microorganisms and adjust antibiotics in ventilated patients with pneumonia. In addition, it was independently associated with a reduction in the length of stay in the intensive care unit after a respiratory specimen was drawn.

This population-based study presents the clinical course of gemcitabine-associated ILD. The crude incidence of this adverse event was 1.7%, and five identified risk factors (older age, heavy smoker, prior chemotherapy, advanced cancer stage and lung cancer) should be evaluated before gemcitabine administration.

Breathing patterns were measured in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Resting ventilation rate increased with worsening disease severity and declining lung function. These changes were associated with increased breathlessness and cough severity. These data show a quantifiable link between symptoms and disease severity potentially allowing improved IPF management.

Tachypnoea, chest retractions, temperature > 37.8°C, SpO₂ < 92% and GCS < 15 independently predicted hospitalization in young children with ALRI. The variables were incorporated into a clinical score to predict the likelihood of hospital admission in 2 months to 2-year-old children.

Pulmonary non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease can require treatment with intravenous amikacin; however, toxicity in this population is insufficiently reported. We reviewed rates of ototoxicity, vestibulotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in patients treated with amikacin. Lower rates of toxicity were found, however, treatment success was lower, suggesting an imbalance between treatment success and toxicities.

This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the treatment and prognostic risk factors in 356 subjects with nosocomial pneumonia caused by A. baumannii, which is the largest series reported to date.

Obstructive sleep apnoea could be an independent risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Non-invasive markers of liver damage are increased in more than 40% of untreated OSA patients, but they do not improve after 6–12 weeks of effective continuous positive airway pressure.

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This study compared perceived sleep disruption due to breathlessness and sleep quality during 4 days of regular low-dose oral morphine versus placebo in elderly participants with refractory breathlessness. This is the first study to raise the possibility that low-dose morphine to reduce breathlessness may improve sleep quality.

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