The COPD assessment test and the modified Medical Research Council scale are not equivalent when related to the maximal exercise capacity in COPD patients

Introduction: The management and treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are based on a cutoff point either of ≥ 10 on the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) or of ≥ 2 of the Medical Research Council (mMRC). Up to now, no study has assessed the equivalence between CAT and mMRC, as related to exercise tolerance in COPD. The aim of this study was to investigate as primary outcome the relationship between CAT and mMRC and maximal exercise capacity in COPD patients. We also evaluated as secondary outcome the agreement between CAT (≥ 10) and mMRC (≥ 2) to categorize patients according to their exercise tolerance. Material and methods: 118 consecutive COPD patients (39 females), aged between 47 and 85 years with a wide range of airflow obstruction and lung hyperinflation were studied. Maximal exercise capacity was assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise test. Results: CAT and mMRC scores were significantly related to VO2 peak (p<0.01). CAT (≥ 10) and mMRC (≥ 2) have a high likelihood to be associated to a value of VO2 peak less than 15.7 and 15.6 mL/kg/min, respectively. The interrater agreement between CAT (≥ 10) and mMRC (≥ 2) was found to be fair (κ = 0.20) in all patients but slight when they were subdivided in those with VO2 peak < 15 mL/kg/min and in those with VO2 peak ≥ 15 mL/kg/min (κ = 0.10 and κ = 0.20 respectively). Conclusion: This study shows that CAT and mMRC are useful tools to predict exercise tolerance in COPD, but they cannot be considered as supplementary measures

Coronavirus infections in children: From SARS and MERS to COVID-19, a narrative review of epidemiological and clinical features

Emerging and re-emerging viruses represent an important challenge for global public health. In the 1960s, coronaviruses (CoVs) were recognized as disease agents in humans. In only two decades, three strains of CoVs have crossed species barriers rapidly emerging as human pathogens resulting in life-threaten-ing disease with a pandemic potential: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2002, Middle-East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012 and the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2. This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of epidemiological, pathogenic and clinical features, along with diagnosis and treatment, of the ongoing epidemic of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the pediatric population in comparison to the first two previous deadly coronavirus outbreaks, SARS and MERS. Literature analysis showed that SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infections seem to affect children less commonly and less severely as compared with adults. Since children are usually asymptomatic, they are often not tested, leading to an underestimate of the true numbers infected. Most of the documented infections belong to family clusters, so the importance of children in transmitting the virus remains uncertain. Like in SARS and MERS infection, there is the possibility that children are not an important reservoir for novel CoVs and this may have important implications for school attendance. While waiting for an effective against SARS-CoV-2, further prevalence studies in paediatric age are needed, in order to clarify the role of children in different age groups in the spread of the infection. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Management of infants with brief resolved unexplained events (Brue) and apparent life-threatening events (alte): A rand/ucla appropriateness approach

Unexpected events of breath, tone, and skin color change in infants are a cause of consider-able distress to the caregiver and there is still debate on their appropriate management. The aim of this study is to survey the trend in prevention, decision-making, and management of brief resolved unexplained events (BRUE)/apparent life-threatening events (ALTE) and to develop a shared proto-col among hospitals and primary care pediatricians regarding hospital admission criteria, work-up and post-discharge monitoring of patients with BRUE/ALTE. For the study purpose, a panel of 54 experts was selected to achieve consensus using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method. Twelve scenarios were developed: one addressed to primary prevention of ALTE and BRUE, and 11 focused on hospital management of BRUE and ALTE. For each scenario, participants were asked to rank each option from ‘1’ (extremely inappropriate) to ‘9’ (extremely appropriate). Results derived from panel meeting and discussion showed several points of agreement but also disagreement with different opinion emerged and the need of focused education on some areas. However, by combining previous recommendations with expert opinion, the application of the RAND/UCLA appropriateness permit-ted us to drive pediatricians to reasoned and informed decisions in term of evaluation, treatment and follow-up of infants with BRUE/ALTE, reducing inappropriate exams and hospitalisation and highlighting priorities for educational interventions

Manifesto on small airway involvement and management in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease:an Interasma (Global Asthma Association - GAA) and World Allergy Organization (WAO) document endorsed by Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) and Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN)

Evidence that enables us to identify, assess, and access the small airways in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has led INTERASMA (Global Asthma Association) and WAO to take a position on the role of the small airways in these diseases. Starting from an extensive literature review, both organizations developed, discussed, and approved the manifesto, which was subsequently approved and endorsed by the chairs of ARIA and GA2LEN. The manifesto describes the evidence gathered to date and defines and proposes issues on small airway involvement and management in asthma and COPD with the aim of challenging assumptions, fostering commitment, and bringing about change. The small airways (defined as those with an internal diameter <2 mm) are involved in the pathogenesis of asthma and COPD and are the major determinant of airflow obstruction in these diseases. Various tests are available for the assessment of the small airways, and their results must be integrated to confirm a diagnosis of small airway dysfunction. In asthma and COPD, the small airways play a key role in attempts to achieve disease control and better outcomes. Small-particle inhaled formulations (defined as those that, owing to their size [usually <2 μm], ensure more extensive deposition in the lung periphery than large molecules) have proved beneficial in patients with asthma and COPD, especially those in whom small airway involvement is predominant. Functional and biological tools capable of accurately assessing the lung periphery and more intensive use of currently available tools are necessary. In patients with suspected COPD or asthma, small airway involvement must be assessed using currently available tools. In patients with subotpimal disease control and/or functional or biological signs of disease activity, the role of small airway involvement should be assessed and treatment tailored. Therefore, the choice between large- and small-particle inhaled formulations must reflect the physician’s considerations of disease features, phenotype, and response to previous therapy. This article is being co-published in Asthma Research and Practice and the World Allergy Organization Journal

Detection of small airway dysfunction in asymptomatic smokers with preserved spirometry: The value of the impulse oscillometry system

Purpose: Smoking-induced bronchiolitis with progressive small airway dysfunction (SAD) is a leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We investigated the value of using the impulse oscillometry system (IOS) to detect SAD in asymptomatic smokers with preserved spirometry. Patients and Methods: We included 75 asymptomatic smokers (37 females, mean age 47 ±12 years, 26±17 pack/year) with preserved spirometry [forced expiratory volume at 1st second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥0.70 and normal FVC] and 34 never-smokers (19 females, mean age 42±15 years). Results: In smokers, pack/years were significantly related to spirometry and IOS parameters (p &lt; 0.05). The values of the fall in resistance from 5 Hz to 20 Hz (R5 – R20) were significantly and inversely related to the values of the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 3 and in 6 seconds (FEV3/FEV6) (p &lt; 0.05). In addition, the percentage of heavy smokers (≥30 pack/year) with R5 – R20 &gt;0.07 kPa·s·L−1, considered as IOS index of SAD, but not with FEV3/FEV6 less than a lower limit of normal, a spirometry index of SAD, was significantly higher than that of mild smokers (&lt;30 pack/year) and never-smokers (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that IOS has the potential to detect SAD in asympto-matic heavy smokers with preserved spirometry and with FEV3/FEV6 values in the normal range. We confirm that IOS provides parameters which can complement traditional measure-ments of pulmonary function

Ventilation Heterogeneity in Asthma and COPD: The Value of the Poorly Communicating Fraction as the Ratio of Total Lung Capacity to Alveolar Volume

Background: The ventilation heterogeneity (VH) is reliably assessed by the multiple-breath nitrogen washout (MBNW), which provides indices of conductive (Scond) and acinar (Sacin) VH as well as the lung clearance index (LCI), an index of global VH. VH can be alternatively measured by the poorly communicating fraction (PCF), that is, the ratio of total lung capacity by body plethysmography to alveolar volume from the single-breath lung diffusing capacity measurement. Objectives: Our objective was to assess VH by PCF and MBNW in patients with asthma and with COPD and to compare PCF and MBNW parameters in both patient groups. Method: We studied 35 asthmatic patients and 45 patients with COPD. Each patient performed spirometry, body plethysmography, diffusing capacity, and MBNW test. Results: Compared to COPD patients, asthmatics showed a significantly lesser degree of airflow obstruction and lung hyperinflation. In asthmatic patients, both PCF and LCI and Sacin values were significantly lower than the corresponding ones of COPD patients. In addition, in both patient groups, PCF showed a positive correlation with LCI (p &lt; 0.05) and Sacin (p &lt; 0.05), but not with Scond. Lastly, COPD patients with PCF &gt;30% were highly likely to have a value ≥2 of the mMRC dyspnea scale. Conclusions: These results showed that PCF, a readily measure derived from routine pulmonary function testing, can provide a comprehensive measure of both global and acinar VH in asthma and in COPD patients and can be considered as a comparable tool to the well-established MBNW technique