Pneumologie最新文献

Background: Far too many people smoke in Germany, and the number of serious attempts to stop smoking has been falling for years.

Methods: Smoke-free in May 2024 is a low-threshold measure to encourage people to stop smoking. Adults who "regularly" consume nicotine products as well as support persons were eligible to take part. As part of the measure, participants and supporters were offered daily support via app notifications, emails and/or WhatsApp. They were also made aware of existing stop-smoking programmes. Finally, prizes were raffled off among the successful participants.

Results: A total of 6,386 individuals registered to take part. Of these, 550 individuals registered with a person of their choice to support them. Smokers were predominantly female (56.5%) and on average 42.9 (SD=13.2) years old. They came from all federal states in Germany, with a disproportionately high number from the federal states of Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein, Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hamburg and Bavaria in relation to the population distribution. Compared to a representative sample from a study by the Robert Koch Institute (2012), they reported a significantly higher subjective socio-economic status. Of the participants, 79.3% categorised their addiction as high. Regular use of more than one nicotine products occurred in 35.3% of the sample; 39.8% of the participants stated that they had not tried to stop smoking during the last 12 months.

Conclusions: The number of smokers participating in the program is encouraging. In addition to an efficacy study, it should be examined in subsequent years how more males and individuals with a low subjective social status can be encouraged to initiate smoking cessation.

During the annual conference of the German Respiratory Society (DGP = Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pneumologie und Beatmungsmedizin) in 2024, updated recommendations for lung function testing have been published. The original full-length version can be downloaded free of charge as pfd-paper from the journal entitled "Atemwegs- und Lungenkrankheiten, Jahrgang 50 (2024) März (111-184)". In the current recommendations new approaches have been embedded that focus on modern interpretations of lung function results, as has been proposed by the ERS (European Respiratory Society) in collaboration with the ATS (American Thoracic Society). This targets the spirometry, the whole bodyplethysmography, diffusion capacity testing, testing for bronchodilation, unspecific bronchoprovocation in addition to the reference values. Oscillometry and respiratory muscle function testing are also included in the recommendations. The current publication considers itself as a short version of the most important topics of the full-length lung function recommendations. However, reading also the full-length paper is strongly emphasised based on the understanding that lung function testing is highly important in daily clinical practice when dealing with patients suffering from respiratory diseases.

Introduction: As with other chronic diseases, the course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be expected to be positively influenced if patients are well informed about their disease and undertake appropriate self-management. Assessments of the level of knowledge and management that are comparable should benefit from structured, systematically developed questionnaires. These, however, have not been published in Germany.

Methods: A total of 310 patients with COPD were recruited from three pneumological practices and one hospital to develop the questionnaires. Based on statistical criteria and content assessments by medical specialists, two questionnaires on knowledge (17 questions) and self-management (25 questions) were developed by selecting and modifying questions from published studies and training programs. In addition, two short versions with 5 and 3 questions were created to enable a quick assessment of the patients' knowledge and self-management. All questionnaires also included a visual analogue scale for self-assessment of knowledge and self-management. The statistical procedures for systematically guided selection comprised correlation and regression analyses.

Results: The questionnaires revealed considerable knowledge deficits in many patients and remarkably unsystematic, incoherent knowledge. The extent of this knowledge was negatively correlated with higher age and positively correlated with participation in training programs; this also applied to self-management. Correlations between the answers to the knowledge questions were higher in patients who had participated in training programs. The visual analogue scales for self-assessment of knowledge and management always correlated with the total number of correct answers.

Discussion: The questionnaires on knowledge and self-management in patients with COPD could be used in outpatient settings, including by non-medical staff, in order to quickly identify and correct deficits or as a reason to recommend training programs. The short versions and the analogue scales for self-assessment can give at least first hints. Potentially, training programs should focus more on promoting the coherence of knowledge through better understanding, as this presumably favors long-term knowledge. Older patients and those with a low level of education appear to be particularly in need of specially adapted training programs.

Lung volume reduction therapy is an established treatment for patients with severe emphysema of the lung. In Germany, the treatment with nitinol coils is the only method for endoscopic lung volume reduction in patients with positive collateral ventilation approved by the Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss. Therefore this procedure can be performed as standard-of-care and has assured reimbursement. After the production of the initial coils was stopped for years, when the only manufacturer had been bought by a large corporation, by the end of 2022 there was a new nitinol-coil, the so called Coil #4, becme available in the European market. The new Coil #4 has a different shape, different application catheter and the implantation procedure differs from that of the original product. We report our experience in endoscopic lung volume reduction with the new Coil #4 in three patients with emphysema. The procedure was performed without complications. All three of them showed improvement in lung function parameters meeting minimal clinically important differences. In two of three patients, we also saw clinically relevant improvement in the 6MWT distance und improvements in SGRQ und CAT-Score. In our opinion, this case series is just a prospect of the possibilities that come with the Coil #4. With due caution, we will continue to offer the Coil #4 as a treatment for selected patients under constant evaluation of the outcome until more data is available.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immune-mediated interstitial lung disease (ILD) in sensitized individuals caused by a large variety of inhaled antigens. The clinical form of acute HP is often misdiagnosed, while the chronic form, especially the chronic fibrotic HP, is difficult to differentiate from other fibrotic ILDs. The present guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of HP replaces the former German recommendations for the diagnosis of HP from 2007 and is amended explicitly by the issue of the chronic fibrotic form, as well as by treatment recommendations for the first time. The evidence was discussed by a multidisciplinary committee of experts. Then, recommendations were formulated for twelve questions on important issues of diagnosis and treatment strategies. Recently published national and international guidelines for ILDs and HP were considered. Detailed background information on HP is useful for a deeper insight into HP and the handling of the guideline.

It seems difficult to continue to employ expectant/breastfeeding mothers in interventional medical fields due to numerous risks involved, such as in handling infectious agents or anaesthetic gases. Pregnancy for female doctors is thus often associated with a ban on employment and is therefore synonymous with a delay in their professional career. The aim of this article was to develop a positive list that allows pregnant women to continue working during their pregnancy at low risk and provides employers with a guide for drawing up risk assessment for specific occasions. The brief narrative overview is based on the recommendations drawn up by both professional associations and the Maternity Protection Committee. It is intended to provide assistance for the preparation of an event-related risk assessment after notification of a pregnancy in the speciality of pneumology in order to be able to continue to employ female doctors working in interventional medicine at low risk.