The population worldwide continues to age, with those over the age of 80 years constituting the fastest-growing sector of the population. As one ages, infectious complications become more frequent, leading to higher rates of hospitalization. This is also true for the lung, where pneumonia is one of the most frequent causes for hospitalization in the elderly and is the number 3 cause of death in the United States. Several unique changes occur with aging, both in the structure and the function of the respiratory system itself and in the immune system, which increase the predisposition and the potential severity of pneumonia as one ages. In this review, we will highlight the risk factors that are associated with the increased incidence of pneumonia in the elderly and will explore the changes ...

α-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is an underrecognized cause of emphysema with associated hyperinflation and compromised quality of life. Lung volume reduction surgery for AATD has been reported in a small number of series. In general, the magnitude and duration of benefit of lung volume reduction surgery for AATD is smaller and briefer in AATD than in α-1 antitrypsin-replete chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nonsurgical approaches to lung volume reduction have included various endobronchial approaches, including valves, glue, and steam. Endobronchial valves have been shown to confer benefit in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with the largest available controlled trial (VENT) showing enhanced FEV1 and 6-minute walk distance in valve recipients, albeit at the expense of more ...

Stereotactic body radiotherapy is a common method to treat early-stage lung cancer in nonoperable patients. Many of these devices rely on fiducial markers to help guide the therapy and must be placed in or around the target lesion. This review will focus on the utility of bronchoscopy for placing these markers. (Source: Clinical Pulmonary Medicine)

Synopsis: In patients admitted to the hospital for community-acquired pneumonia, the use of prednisone for 7 days led to a shorter time to clinical stability, defined by vital sign stability for 24 hours, and an overall reduction in the length of hospital stay, with a higher incidence of hyperglycemia needing insulin, but without a difference in pneumonia-related complications at 30 days after randomization when compared with placebo. Source: Blum CA, Nigro N, Briel M, et al. Adjunct prednisone therapy for patients with community-acquired pneumonia: a multicentre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2015;385:1511–1518. (Source: Clinical Pulmonary Medicine)