In this nationwide follow-up study of patients initiating long-acting beta₂-agonist (LABA) and/or longacting muscarinic antagonist therapy (LAMA) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the most common first regimen was a LABA with an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS). ICS use was inconsistent with guidelines. There were complex therapy patterns, including periods of non-use.

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Interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune feature (IPAF) criteria were recently established to clarify research definitions for interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients with features of autoimmune disease. Our study found these criteria encompassed the majority of patients previously diagnosed as UCTD-ILD and did not exclude radiological or histological usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) (IPAF with UIP features), whose survival was indistinguishable from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

This study reports the findings in a large population-based interstitial lung disease (ILD) cohort identified from national medical registries. Mortality was increased among patients with ILD at all levels of co-morbidities, but the difference in mortality between ILD patients and matched controls decreases with increasing burden of co-morbidities.

Identifying factors determining the success of talc pleurodesis in malignant pleurisy could guide clinical decision-making. This observational survey shows that a delay in referral of symptomatic patients for pleurodesis might compromise its success. Ultrasonic assessment of potential lung expansion can help to identify trapped lung.

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