BMJ Open Respiratory Research

Background and AimsThe prognosis of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has not been studied as extensively as IPF. This study aimed to evaluate baseline factors associated with mortality in non-IPF ILD, including demographic characteristics, respiratory function test (RFT), comorbidities, and ILD subtypes. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study analysed prospectively collected data of patients with non-IPF ILD at a single tertiary centre in Malaysia...

Background: Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) are radiologic findings of increased lung density or fibrosis in individuals without clinical interstitial lung disease (ILD) and are associated with increased mortality and progression to ILD. Understanding physiologic trajectories of lung function preceding ILA diagnosis may illuminate early mechanisms of lung injury. Methods: We recruited participants from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Lung Study, a prospective ...

ObjectiveMyositis-associated interstitial lung disease (myositis-ILD) consists of two predominant radiologic patterns of lung injury--nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and organizing pneumonia (OP)--that oftentimes coexist. However, it remains unclear whether either is associated with clinical outcomes. We aimed to assess the therapeutic response in patients with NSIP-compared to those with OP-predominant myositis-ILD. MethodsThis retrospective, single-center cohort study recruited part...

BackgroundBronchiectasis is a debilitating respiratory condition characterized by chronic cough with expectoration of thick sputum. It accounts for significant morbidity and mortality, especially when associated with exacerbations. Assessing the health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) of patients with bronchiectasis is important to ascertain the impact of the disease on day-to-day life, as well as to gauge the effect of targeted interventions. Conventionally used methods for assessing HR-QoL suc...

BackgroundReliable detection of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection (LTBI) remains challenging, particularly in TB contacts and immunocompromised individuals, where interferon-{gamma} release assays (IGRAs) demonstrate variable sensitivity. IP-10, a chemokine produced at substantially higher concentrations than IFN-{gamma}, represents a promising immune marker. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of two IP-10 based assays RIDA(R)QUICK TB (lateral flow) and RIDA...

RationaleSevere SARS-CoV-2 infection induces disrupted oropharyngeal and gut microbiota during acute disease which may persist and contribute to the development of post-acute pulmonary sequelae. To date, it is unclear whether dysbiosis following severe disease is linked to long-term pulmonary function impairment. ObjectivesTo determine associations between oropharyngeal and gut microbiota composition with lung function after severe COVID-19. Methods16S and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRN...

Respiratory monitoring in daily-life settings is important for health assessment, yet extracting physiologically interpretable information from breathing signals under natural conditions remains challenging, as breathing is inherently dynamic and strongly modulated by behavior. Here, a portable breathing monitoring device based on a flexible lead zirconate titanate sensor is developed to address this challenge. By exploiting polarity-opposed piezoelectric and pyroelectric responses through senso...

BackgroundSalbutamol is the most commonly prescribed inhaler for adults discharged from the Emergency Department (ED) with uncontrolled asthma. However newer options, e.g. Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (MART), are now recommended due to growing concerns over risks linked to salbutamol over-prescription. Transitioning to new inhalers requires support for both patients and healthcare professionals (HCP). This paper outlines how we developed an implementation package based on evidence, theory an...

Functional capacity, muscle strength, and patient-reported outcome measures are important indicators of health. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), these traits are often impaired beyond normal age-related decline. Substantial variability exists in both COPD and healthy populations, the biological basis of which remains poorly understood. Given the known contribution of genetics to complex traits, genetic factors may partly explain this variability. This study aimed to identify gene...

This study compared the effects of a 25-min nap opportunity and a 10-min non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) condition on perceptual, cognitive, and physical performance in physically active young adults. Sixty participants (26 female, 34 male; 22 {+/-} 4 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (nap, NSDR, control; n = 20 each). All groups completed identical assessments immediately, 20 min, and 40 min post-intervention. Mixed-effects models, adjusted for sex, prior-night sleep, and weekly p...

Pediatric asthma exacerbations are a frequent cause of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations, yet accurate risk prediction remains limited and no consensus risk scores exist. Using UF Health electronic health records (EHRs) from 2011-2023, we evaluated two computable phenotypes (i.e., CAPriCORN and COMPAC) to predict exacerbations over 6-, 12-, and 24-month horizons. Exacerbations were defined using a validated composite of diagnosis codes from ED, inpatient, or outpatient encoun...

ObjectiveTo develop and psychometrically evaluate an assessment of symptoms in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) MethodsAn initial symptom list was devised from the relevant literature with the patient and clinician advisory groups. An online survey with 85 symptom items in eight domains was completed by people with ME/CFS. Each item had two response structures (assessing symptom frequency and severity on five-point scales). Rasch analysis assessed each domain for unid...

ObjectiveTo evaluate the criterion-related and discriminant validity, test-retest reliability and minimal detectable difference of The Index of ME Symptoms (TIMES) in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) MethodsPeople with ME/CFS in the UK completed the TIMES online (n=1055). Rasch-transformed interval data and parametric statistics were used: Pearson correlations (with the ME severity scale); analysis of variance; intra-class correlations (ICC) and standard error of meas...

BackgroundRecurrent sore throat affects a small minority of adults but can cause substantial morbidity. Evidence to guide tonsillectomy eligibility in adults is limited, and current criteria are extrapolated from paediatric populations. We aimed to describe the epidemiology, management, and prognosis of adult sore throat in UK primary care. MethodsUsing CPRD Aurum (2010-2020 adults with a first coded episode of sore throat or tonsillitis were identified and matched to controls. Episode frequenc...

Smoking Cessation Efforts for Patients with Asthma and COPD IntroductionSmoking cessation can alter the natural history of both COPD and asthma by reducing the frequency and severity of exacerbations and slowing disease progression. Accordingly, the Global Initiative for Asthma and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease recommend that clinicians address smoking cessation at every visit using counseling and pharmacotherapy. MethodsThe Mount Sinai Health System includes seven...

BackgroundThoracic spine mobilization (TSM) has been proposed to influence autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, yet evidence remains inconsistent and feasibility of standardised protocols is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether a randomized TSM protocol can be implemented successfully in healthy participants and to provide preliminary estimates of its effects on heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate (HR). MethodsA randomized feasibility trial was conducted with healthy young ...

BackgroundPulse oximeters are typically validated on cohorts of 200-500 subjects under controlled conditions. Whether these cohorts capture the demographic heterogeneity of national clinical practice -- and whether measurement error is associated with patient outcomes -- has not been established at scale. MethodsWe analyzed paired SpO2/SaO2 readings from three independent sources spanning 209 U.S. hospitals: MIMIC-IV (1 hospital; 12,934 ICU stays), eICU-CRD (208 hospitals; 55,178 stays), and th...

BackgroundAsthma is a frequent comorbidity in children with sickle cell disease and has been associated with an increased risk of acute complications, particularly vaso-occlusive crises and acute chest syndrome. However, determinants of clinical severity among children with sickle cell disease and confirmed asthma remain poorly characterized, especially in tropical settings. This study aimed to identify factors associated with clinical severity in this population. MethodsWe conducted an observa...

BackgroundMulti-system impacts of long COVID remain unknown. We compared multi-system deficits between people with long COVID and controls. MethodsA case-control study recruited from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and TwinsUK population cohorts. Cases (141) had long COVID (evidence of COVID-19 infection and persistent symptoms [&ge;]4 weeks post infection); controls (280) included people making a full recovery in <4 weeks, people self-reporting long COVID like symptoms but ...

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and safety of etomidate versus ketamine as induction agents for rapid sequence intubation in critically ill adults, focusing on 28-day mortality and post-intubation hypotension. Data SourcesPubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched from inception to January 2026. Reference lists of included studies were also manually screened. Study SelectionWe included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing single-dose intravenous ketamine ve...