Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pulmonology for October 2018. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Link Between Statins, Non-CVD Outcomes Lacks Evidence
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) — There is a lack of convincing evidence for an association between statin use and non-cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, according to a review published in the Oct. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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AMA Announces Initiative to Reinvent Physician Training
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The American Medical Association (AMA) today announced a new $15 million competitive grant initiative, the “Reimagining Residency” initiative, aimed at improving residency training.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors May Up Lung CA Risk
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer compared with angiotensin receptor blockers, according to a study published online Oct. 24 in the BMJ.
Community Health Worker Intervention Beneficial
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A standardized community health worker (CHW)-delivered intervention, Individual Management for Patient-Centered Targets, improves patient-perceived quality of care and reduces hospitalizations for low-income patients with chronic diseases, according to a study published online Oct. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Many Hospitals Noncompliant With Record Request Regulations
MONDAY, Oct. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Among top-ranked U.S. hospitals, data reveal discrepancies in information provided to patients regarding medical records release processes as well as noncompliance with state and federal regulations, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in JAMA Network Open.
Durvalumab Extends Survival in Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung CA
MONDAY, Oct. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Durvalumab results in significantly longer overall survival than placebo among patients with stage III, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer who did not have disease progression after concurrent chemoradiotherapy, according to a study published Sept. 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Trump Administration Announces Plan to Cut Drug Prices
FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In an effort to cut high drug costs, the prices paid by Medicare for certain prescription drugs would be based on those in other advanced industrial nations, according to a proposal announced Oct. 25 by the Trump administration.
HHS Study
New York Times Article
Millions of ER Visits for Asthma Due to Air Pollution
FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Air pollution accounts for millions of emergency room visits for asthma each year, according to a study published Oct. 24 in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Neither Haloperidol, Ziprasidone Shortens Delirium in ICU
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For patients with acute respiratory failure or shock and hypoactive or hyperactive delirium in the intensive care unit, neither haloperidol nor ziprasidone alters the duration of delirium compared with placebo, according to a study published online Oct. 22 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Oxygen Saturation Should Not Top 96 Percent in Acutely Ill
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For acutely ill patients, an oxygen saturation of no more than 96 percent should be maintained, according to a clinical practice guideline published online Oct. 24 in the BMJ.
Pace of Change Has Accelerated in Alternative Payment Models
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The impact of alternative payment models (APMs) on physician practices has been described in a study published by the RAND Corp. and the American Medical Association.
Open Surgery for Early Lung CA Tied to Long-Term Opioid Use
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Surgical invasiveness might play a role in the odds of becoming a long-term opioid user after early-stage lung cancer surgery, according to a research letter published online Sept. 24 in JAMA Oncology.
Nearly Half of Children Seen in ED for Bronchiolitis Get Radiography
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Despite guideline recommendations to the contrary, nearly half of children seen in the emergency department for bronchiolitis receive radiography, according to a research letter published online Oct. 16 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Most Supplements Contain Prohibited Stimulants
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Many supplements contain one or more stimulants that have been the subject of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-issued public notices, according to a research letter published online Oct. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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High-Dose Flu Vaccine May Cut Hospitalization in Dialysis Patients
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Receipt of the high-dose influenza vaccine in 2016 to 2017 was associated with lower rates of hospitalization among dialysis patients, according to a study published online Oct. 23 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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White House Unveils New Insurance Option for Small Firms
TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A plan to allow small businesses to use tax-free accounts to provide health coverage for employees was announced today by the Trump administration.
AP News Article
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Thermal Ablation Acceptable for Early Lung Cancer
TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Thermal ablation (TA) is a safe, effective treatment for stage 1 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study recently published in Radiology.
Diagnostic Strategy Can Rule Out PE in Pregnant Women
MONDAY, Oct. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A diagnostic strategy based on pretest clinical probability assessment, high-sensitivity D-dimer testing, bilateral lower-limb compression ultrasonography (CUS), and computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) can safely rule out pulmonary embolism (PE) in pregnant women, according to a study published online Oct. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Short Respiratory Event Duration Ups Mortality Risk in OSA
MONDAY, Oct. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, those with short respiratory event duration have an increased risk for mortality, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Adolescent, Young Adult Pod-Based E-Cigarette Use Up
MONDAY, Oct. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Adolescents and young adults are increasingly using electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) products such as pod-based systems but have misperceptions and lack of knowledge about these products, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in JAMA Network Open.
Asthma May Raise Obesity Risk Later in Childhood
FRIDAY, Oct. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Early-onset asthma and wheezing may contribute to an increased risk of developing obesity later in childhood, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of the European Respiratory Journal.
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Bioinformatics Tool Can ID Source of Bloodstream Pathogens
FRIDAY, Oct. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A streamlined bioinformatics tool can match bloodstream pathogens to a candidate source, according to a study published online Oct. 15 in Nature Medicine.
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Triple Combo Regimens May Address Cause of Cystic Fibrosis
FRIDAY, Oct. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Triple therapy with VX-659 or VX-445 combined with tezacaftor-ivacaftor shows promise for the treatment of adult patients with cystic fibrosis who have mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), according to two studies published online Oct. 18 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The studies were published to coincide with a presentation at the annual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference, held from Oct. 18 to 20 in Denver.
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Sharp Drop in U.S. Life Expectancy Rankings by 2040
THURSDAY, Oct. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The United States will have the largest drop in life expectancy rankings of all high-income countries by 2040, a new study says.
CNN Article
Abstract/Full Text
Editorial
Procurement Requirements Drive Interoperability in Health Care IT
THURSDAY, Oct. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Interoperability of health care information technology (IT) must be improved to facilitate creation of a fully integrated health care system that can improve health and health care at lower cost, according to a report published by the National Academy of Medicine.
Plasma-Based Genotyping Aids Targeted Tx of Metastatic NSCLC
THURSDAY, Oct. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Integration of plasma next-generation sequencing (NGS) into the routine management of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) results in an increase in the detection of therapeutically targetable mutations, according to a study published online Oct. 11 in JAMA Oncology.
Long-Term Benzodiazepines Do Not Up Mortality in COPD, PTSD
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), long-term benzodiazepine use is not associated with mortality, but there is an association for short-term benzodiazepine use, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Lung Cancer Deaths 28% Lower in California Than Rest of U.S.
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Annual lung cancer mortality was 28 percent lower in California than in the rest of the United States in 2013, according to a study published online Oct. 10 in Cancer Prevention Research.
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Without Medicaid Expansion, Poor Patients Forgo Medical Care
MONDAY, Oct. 15, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Doing without medical care is much more common among low-income residents of states that have not expanded Medicaid than among low-income people in other states, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
In NSCLC, Longer Survival With Brigatinib Than Crizotinib
MONDAY, Oct. 15, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Among patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have not previously received an ALK inhibitor, progression-free survival is significantly longer in those who receive treatment with brigatinib versus crizotinib, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Active Pharmaceuticals ID’d in >700 Dietary Supplements
MONDAY, Oct. 15, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Dietary supplements often include active pharmaceuticals, even after warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in JAMA Network Open.
Poor Outcomes for Hispanic Infants With Congenital Heart Dz
THURSDAY, Oct. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For live-born infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and d-transposition of the great arteries (TGA), Hispanic ethnicity is associated with poor outcome, according to a study published online Oct. 10 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Aetna-CVS Merger Approved
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A $69 billion merger between health insurer Aetna and pharmacy manager CVS Health has been approved, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Hand Hygiene Program Beneficial for Day Care Centers
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — An educational and hand hygiene program involving hand sanitizer can reduce the risk for respiratory infections (RI) for children attending day care centers (DCCs), according to a study published online Oct. 8 in Pediatrics.
Albuminuria Linked to Incident Lung Function Decline
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Albuminuria is associated with incident lung function decline and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published online Sept. 28 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Mechanical Ventilation May Alter Diaphragm Muscle Fibers
TUESDAY, Oct. 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In critically ill patients, mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) results in reduced diaphragm fiber length that may make it more difficult to wean patients from mechanical ventilation, according to a study published in the Aug. 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Integrated Classifier Identifies Benign Lung Nodules
TUESDAY, Oct. 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) — An integrated plasma proteomics classifier, which integrates the relative abundance of two plasma proteins with a clinical risk prediction model, can distinguish benign from malignant lung nodules in those at low-to-intermediate risk for cancer, according to a study published in the September issue of CHEST.
Minority Residents Experience Burdens Linked to Race/Ethnicity
TUESDAY, Oct. 9 2018 (HealthDay News) — Minority residents describe burdens associated with race/ethnicity, including microaggressions and bias on a daily basis, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Network Open.
Industry-Funded Trials Often Involve Employees in Studies
Longer Reproductive Lifespan Tied to Lower Bronchiectasis Risk in Postmenopausal Women 
Adenotonsillectomy Tied to Increase in Respiratory Tract Infections in Children 
Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Elevated in Pediatric Chest Tightness Variant Asthma 
Lung Disease More Common With Ulcerative Colitis Than Crohn Disease 
Serum 25(OH)D May Serve as Biomarker of Disease Activity in IBD 
Family History of CRC Increases CRC Risk Similarly in IBD, General Population 
Healthy Lifestyle in Early Childhood Linked to Lower Risk for IBD .jpeg)
Most Adults With Moderate-to-Severe Ulcerative Colitis Ineligible for RCTs .jpg)
