Advances in management of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) include the use of volume and pressure-limited ventilation and a fluid conservative strategy. Despite the extensive study of positive end expiratory pressure, consensus regarding the best approach to its application is lacking. The use of neuromuscular blocking agents and prone positioning in the setting of refractory hypoxemia is supported by the outcomes of recent studies. Alternate modes of ventilation remain unproven. A focus on ARDS risk factor reduction and the development of tools predicting progression to ARDS have the potential to further reduce its incidence. (Source: Clinics in Chest Medicine)

Differentiating tuberculous pleural effusion from other lymphocytic pleural effusions is often challenging. This retrospective study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of medical thoracoscopy in patients with suspected tuberculous pleural effusion. (Source: Respiratory Medicine CME)

ConclusionThis RCT showed that a new non-viral-based gene therapy for cystic fibrosis was able to produce “modest” benefits in lung function compared to a placebo. The treatments were given once a month for a year. The study had many strengths, including its double-blind randomised design, recruiting adequate numbers to demonstrate real differences between groups, and using pre-specified outcomes and sub-analysis. This means we can be confident in the reliability of the findings presented. Although the findings of this study are encouraging, there are always limitations. These include: This study was relatively small, recruiting just 140 patients. This is normal for a phase II trial, but large clinical trials are needed to fully assess the effects and safety of this treatment in devel...

Conclusion PCT measurement may provide an important indicator of severity for patients with CAP, also it can assess treatment response in these patients. (Source: Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis)