Biomarkers reflective of disease activity in cystic fibrosis (CF) have the potential to improve patient care, particularly during CF pulmonary exacerbations (CFPEs). Although blood-based biomarkers have been studied in CFPE for nearly 3 decades, none have been integrated into routine clinical practice. To facilitate progress in this area, we performed a systematic review evaluating blood-based biomarkers during CFPE.

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of short- vs long-duration antibiotic regimens for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Although physiotherapy is frequently provided to patients in the ICU, its role has been questioned. The purpose of this systematic literature review, an update of one published in 2000, was to examine the evidence concerning the effectiveness of physiotherapy for adult, intubated patients who are mechanically ventilated in the ICU.

Clinical studies have suggested an association between bisphosphonate use and the onset of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, data on the risk of developing AF, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality with the use of bisphosphonate are conflicting. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of serious AF (events that required hospital admission), stroke, and cardiovascular mortality with the use of bisphosphonates through a systematic review of the literature.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is common among patients with COPD. However, it is not clear whether this is due to shared risk factors or if COPD increases the risk for CVD independently. This study aimed to provide a systematic review of studies that investigated the association between COPD and CVD outcomes, assessing any effect of confounding by common risk factors.

Studies of the impact of respiratory muscle training (RMT) on central neurodegenerative pathologies have been aimed at improving pulmonary function. However, there is no certainty about the effectiveness of RMT in patients affected by these groups of disorders. The purpose of this review was to assess the evidence regarding the efficacy of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and expiratory muscle training (EMT) on respiratory function in patients with neurodegenerative disorders of the CNS.

The objectives of this systematic review were to synthesize the literature on measures of activities of daily living (ADLs) that have been used in individuals with COPD and to provide an overview of the psychometric properties of the identified measures and describe the relationship of the disease-specific instruments with other relevant outcome measures for individuals with COPD and health-care use.

Lung cancer is by far the major cause of cancer deaths largely because in the majority of patients it is at an advanced stage at the time it is discovered, when curative treatment is no longer feasible. This article examines the data regarding the ability of screening to decrease the number of lung cancer deaths.

In 2008, lung cancer replaced liver cancer as the number one cause of death among people with malignant tumors in China. The registered lung cancer mortality rate increased by 464.84% in the past 3 decades, which imposes an enormous burden on patients, health-care professionals, and society. We performed a systematic review of the published data on lung cancer in China between 1990 and 2011 to analyze the incidence and mortality rates, economic burden, and risk factors of cancer and the effectiveness of interventions. Lung cancer incidence varies within China. People in eastern China, especially women, likely have a higher risk of developing lung cancer than those in western China. The crude mortality rates from lung cancer in 2008 were 47.51 per 100,000 men and 22.69 per 100,000 women. The crude mortality rate was highest in Shanghai (76.49 per 100,000 men and 35.82 per 100,000 women) and lowest in Tibet (25.14 per 100,000 men) and Ningxia (12.09 per 100,000 women). Smoking and environmental pollution are major risk factors for lung cancer in China. Continuous efforts should be concentrated on education of the general public regarding lung cancer to increase prevention and early detection. Specific interventions need to be implemented to reduce smoking rates and environmental risk factors. Standardized treatment protocols should be adapted in China.

The success of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is established, but how to sustain benefits over the long term is less clear. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effect of supervised exercise programs after primary PR on exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in individuals with COPD.

The longitudinal associations between depression or anxiety and COPD, and their comorbid effect on prognosis, have not been adequately addressed by previous reviews. We aimed to systematically assess these associations to inform guidelines and practice.

Simulation-based bronchoscopy training is increasingly used, but effectiveness remains uncertain. We sought to perform a comprehensive synthesis of published work on simulation-based bronchoscopy training.

Epidemiologic and physiologic studies suggest an association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and chronic cough. However, the benefit of antireflux therapy for chronic cough remains unclear, with most relevant trials reporting negative findings. This systematic review aimed to reevaluate the response of chronic cough to antireflux therapy in trials that allowed us to distinguish patients with or without objective evidence of GERD.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remains a common hazardous complication in patients who are mechanically ventilated and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of probiotics for the prevention of VAP.

Implementation of telemedicine programs in ICUs (tele-ICUs) may improve patient outcomes, but the costs of these programs are unknown. We performed a systematic literature review to summarize existing data on the costs of tele-ICUs and collected detailed data on the costs of implementing a tele-ICU in a network of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals.

Adaptive servoventilation (ASV) has demonstrated efficacy in treating sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in patients with heart failure (HF), but large randomized trials are lacking. We, therefore, sought to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing data.

Although atrial fibrillation (AF) is accepted as the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, most published epidemiologic studies focus on predominantly white populations in North America or Europe, and information on AF in nonwhite populations is scarce. The objective of this study was to undertake a systematic review of the published literature on the epidemiology of AF in other regions.

The purpose of our study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials to date comparing fibrinolytics with placebo to clarify their current role in the management of parapneumonic effusions and empyemas.

Bronchodilators are central to the symptomatic management of patients with COPD.Previous data have shown that inhaled indacaterol improved numerous clinical outcomes over placebo.

Development of clinical practice guidelines involves making trade-offs between desirable and undesirable consequences of alternative management strategies. Although the relative value of health states to patients should provide the basis for these trade-offs, few guidelines have systematically summarized the relevant evidence. We conducted a systematic review relating to values and preferences of patients considering antithrombotic therapy.