{"title":"Prophylactic antibiotics in chronic pediatric lung disease: balancing benefit, resistance, and future care models.","authors":"Isaac Martin, Valerie Waters","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2636314","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2636314","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Children with chronic suppurative or inflammatory lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF), non-CF bronchiectasis (NCFB), chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD), and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), experience recurrent infection and persistent neutrophilic airway inflammation that together drive progressive lung injury. Prophylactic antibiotic strategies have therefore been explored to interrupt this infection - inflammation cycle, encompassing both pathogen-specific approaches and longer-term anti-exacerbation or immunomodulatory therapies.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>We review clinical trials, observational studies, and guideline recommendations evaluating prophylactic antibiotic use in chronic pediatric lung disease. A targeted literature search using PubMed was conducted, focusing on macrolide and non-macrolide prophylactic strategies in children under 18 years of age, disease-specific outcomes, antimicrobial resistance, and stewardship considerations across pediatric respiratory disorders.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Evidence supporting antibiotic prophylaxis varies substantially by disease and clinical context. We propose a framework for selective, time-limited use of prophylactic antibiotics, emphasizing individualized risk - benefit assessment, regular reassessment of efficacy, and integration within antimicrobial stewardship paradigms.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"787-799"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147273057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Giorgia Pacchiarini, Francesco Monteleone, Francesco Zarantonello, Nicolò Sella, Mara Bassi, Alessandro Zambianchi, Valentina Fincati, Annalisa Bolzon, Elisa Pistollato, Alessandro De Cassai, Annalisa Boscolo, Paolo Navalesi, Tommaso Pettenuzzo
{"title":"Recognizing and managing excessive respiratory drive and effort: an expert narrative review.","authors":"Giorgia Pacchiarini, Francesco Monteleone, Francesco Zarantonello, Nicolò Sella, Mara Bassi, Alessandro Zambianchi, Valentina Fincati, Annalisa Bolzon, Elisa Pistollato, Alessandro De Cassai, Annalisa Boscolo, Paolo Navalesi, Tommaso Pettenuzzo","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2622110","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2622110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Patient self-inflicted lung injury (P-SILI) has been proposed as a contributor to lung damage during spontaneous breathing or partially assisted ventilation. P-SILI usually arises from excessive inspiratory efforts driven by abnormally elevated respiratory drive. Assessing respiratory drive and effort is therefore crucial for identifying patients at risk and guiding tailored lung-protective strategies.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This narrative review provides practical recommendations for the identification and management of patients at risk of developing P-SILI.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Accurate assessment of respiratory drive and effort - using ventilator-derived parameters, esophageal manometry, diaphragm electromyography, and imaging modalities - is vital, though not yet standard in clinical practice. Management should aim to correct underlying causes of heightened drive, optimize sedation and ventilator settings, and apply advanced lung-protective interventions when appropriate. Future priorities include improving monitoring techniques, clarifying whether inspiratory effort or lung stress should be prioritized, and determining optimal timing for intubation. Balancing excessive and insufficient effort is essential, as both P-SILI and diaphragmatic disuse can worsen outcomes. Emerging imaging technologies may enhance real-time assessment of regional strain and effort. Ultimately, integrating physiological monitoring with individualized ventilatory management is fundamental to protect the lung while preserving respiratory muscle function and improving patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"769-785"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146032249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ravneet K Hansi, Christiane E Whetstone, Maral Ranjbar, Wafa Hassan, Gail M Gauvreau
{"title":"Recent updates on thymic stromal lymphopoietin as a therapeutic target for asthma.","authors":"Ravneet K Hansi, Christiane E Whetstone, Maral Ranjbar, Wafa Hassan, Gail M Gauvreau","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2615193","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2615193","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an epithelial-derived cytokine shown to bridge innate and adaptive immunity, and orchestrates airway inflammation across both type 2 (T2)-high and T2-low asthma. Emerging evidence suggests that by functioning as an alarmin upstream of airway immune cells, TSLP integrates epithelial and immune signaling to initiate inflammation and structural remodeling, positioning it as a pivotal therapeutic target in asthma pathogenesis.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review summarizes the current understanding of TSLP biology and its roles in both T2- high and T2-low inflammation. Clinical data from tezepelumab treatment and emerging next-generation anti-TSLP agents, including bispecific antibodies, receptor antagonists and inhaled formulation, are evaluated for their potential to transform asthma management.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Targeting TSLP represents a paradigm shift in asthma therapy, offering efficacy across diverse inflammatory endotypes, however with greater benefit in T2-high patients. Next-generation anti-TSLP agents aim to enhance potency, durability and tissue specificity, and combine with other agents for bi-specific therapy. Despite this progress in clinical development, key challenges remain, including understanding isoform-specific functions, improving biomarker-based patient stratification and assessing long-term safety of TSLP inhibition. As research advances, TSLP inhibition is expected to evolve from the strategy of single cytokine blockade into a personalized multi-pathway approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"693-711"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146000235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rossana Cuscito, Laura Cricenti, Ilaria Ruotolo, Giovanni Galeoto, Giovanni Sellitto
{"title":"Effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions in adults with moderate-to-severe asthma: an extended systematic review.","authors":"Rossana Cuscito, Laura Cricenti, Ilaria Ruotolo, Giovanni Galeoto, Giovanni Sellitto","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2614812","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2614812","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Physical deconditioning is common in adults with moderate-to-severe asthma, negatively affecting respiratory function, disease control and quality of life (QoL). Pulmonary rehabilitation may improve both functional and psychological outcomes.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitative interventions in moderate-to-severe asthma and to assess the methodological quality of the included studies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL, PEDro, SCOPUS, and Web of Science following PRISMA guidelines. Eligible designs included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental and observational studies. Risk of bias was assessed using PEDro scale and Risk of bias-2 (RoB2) for RCTs, ROBINS-E/ROBINS-I for non-randomized and observational studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirteen studies (n. 1094 participants) were included. Outcome measures comprised Lung Function, Six-Minute Walking Test (6MWT), Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), and Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ). Aerobic training combined with breathing techniques improved exercise tolerance (6MWT: 39.62 m; 95% CI 18 to 123 m) and QoL; Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) showed additional functional benefits. Overall methodological quality ranged from low to moderate, with limitations related to heterogeneity and small sample sizes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Aerobic training with breathing techniques appears beneficial for moderate-to-severe asthma. Further high-quality, large-scale RCTs are needed to confirm these findings.</p><p><strong>Prospero registration: </strong>www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero identifier is CRD420251024215.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"727-747"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145947115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Juan C Lara, Chan Y Pu, Fayez Kheir, Juan P Uribe, Khaled Alshabani, Kai E Swenson, Jason Beattie, Mihir Parikh, Colleen Keyes, Erik E Folch, Adnan Majid
{"title":"Consensus-based standardization of procedural steps for indwelling pleural catheter placement: a modified Delphi study.","authors":"Juan C Lara, Chan Y Pu, Fayez Kheir, Juan P Uribe, Khaled Alshabani, Kai E Swenson, Jason Beattie, Mihir Parikh, Colleen Keyes, Erik E Folch, Adnan Majid","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2025.2610032","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2025.2610032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) are commonly used for managing recurrent pleural effusion, yet standardized techniques for their placement are lacking. This study aimed to establish a consensus on IPC placement technique through a modified Delphi method.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>A three-round online-based survey was conducted among 22 experienced interventional pulmonologists in the United States. Consensus development involved identifying procedural domains from established interventional pulmonology curricula, refined into modules on pre-procedure preparation, technique, and post-procedure care. The survey included demographics, IPC placement preferences, and evaluation of procedural steps. Consensus was defined as an average numerical rating score ≥4 out of 5.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sixteen physicians completed all three survey rounds. Consensus was achieved on various aspects including pre-procedure preparation, choice of site, sterile preparation, Seldinger technique, tunneling, catheter insertion, securing catheter, and post-procedure care. There were divergences in the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics and screening of intercostal artery using linear ultrasound with doppler. The proposed steps encompass comprehensive IPC placement guidelines.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study presents a standardized approach for IPC placement derived from expert consensus, addressing variability in practice and promoting procedural safety. These guidelines serve as a foundation for future research and practice refinement in IPC placement.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"757-763"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145822550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dianmei Zhou, Lijuan Gao, Lian Liu, Kai Zi, Tao Wang, Jun Chen, Fuqiang Wen
{"title":"Mucus plugs in large airways are associated with adverse hospitalization outcomes in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.","authors":"Dianmei Zhou, Lijuan Gao, Lian Liu, Kai Zi, Tao Wang, Jun Chen, Fuqiang Wen","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2025.2608300","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2025.2608300","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) impose a substantial health-economic burden. Although mucociliary dysfunction is a key pathophysiological feature linked to adverse outcomes, the implication of computed tomography (CT)-identified mucus plugs in hospitalized patients with AECOPD remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>This retrospective cohort study included 508 patients. Mucus plugs were assessed on the first chest CT scans after admission. Logistic regression analyses were employed to investigate the association of mucus plugs and hospitalization outcomes. The predictive performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mucus plugs were observed in 179 (35.20%) patients and were independently associated with both prolonged length of stay (LOS) (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.85; 95% CI, 1.14-3.03; <i>p</i> < 0.05) and increased hospitalization costs (adjusted OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.05-2.54; <i>p</i> < 0.05). It also demonstrated considerable predictive value, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.780 and 0.811 for the respective outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Mucus plugs are significantly associated with prolonged LOS and increased hospitalization costs in AECOPD, highlighting their utility as practical imaging biomarkers for risk stratification and clinical management.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"749-755"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145807043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jodie Ackland, Lauren Bowron, Michael Joseph Cox, Karl James Staples
{"title":"<i>Haemophilus influenzae</i> in the airways: canary in the coal mine or driver of disease?","authors":"Jodie Ackland, Lauren Bowron, Michael Joseph Cox, Karl James Staples","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2616838","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2616838","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Overgrowth and colonization by non-typeable <i>Haemophilus influenzae</i> (NTHi) is a common feature of increasing disease severity, treatment resistance and increased susceptibility to disease exacerbations across chronic airways diseases (CADs). Whether NTHi is a driver of respiratory disease or reflects that the damaged airway has become a permissive environment for growth remains to be proven.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>In this review, we discuss the potential roles of hypermutation, biofilm formation and intracellular living in allowing NTHi to adapt to living in the lungs of individuals with CADs. Furthermore, we also highlight immunological, structural and mucosal changes in the lungs themselves that can create a permissive niche for NTHi colonization. Given the significance of the host-pathogen interaction in the pathophysiology of CADs, we also consider which host and bacterial mechanisms may serve as potential targets for novel therapeutics. To achieve this we performed a comprehensive literature search through PubMed to identify studies reporting on NTHi in chronic airways diseases published up to 1 December 2025.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>A deeper understanding of the dynamic interactions between NTHi and the diseased airway may help identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic interventions that can be effective across multiple CADs.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"637-658"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145961041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marco Caminati, Andrea Portacci, Francesca Cefaloni, Antonella Loperfido, Matteo Maule, Marco Zurlo, Claudio Montuori, Leandro Maria D'Auria, Michele Schiappoli, Giovanna Elisiana Carpagnano, Eugenio De Corso
{"title":"When hypereosinophilia occurs during dupilumab therapy: evidence-based strategies for clinical management in respiratory indications.","authors":"Marco Caminati, Andrea Portacci, Francesca Cefaloni, Antonella Loperfido, Matteo Maule, Marco Zurlo, Claudio Montuori, Leandro Maria D'Auria, Michele Schiappoli, Giovanna Elisiana Carpagnano, Eugenio De Corso","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2025.2604322","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2025.2604322","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody which selectively targets T2 inflammation by binding the IL-4 and 13 receptor and blocking its contribution to the immune activation. Clinical trials and real-life studies on severe asthma and nasal polyps patients have reported blood eosinophils fluctuation over the treatment course.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>In the present narrative review the authors aim to provide a practical perspective on the recent evidence related to hypereosinophilia occurring during dupilumab therapy in respiratory indications, its underlying mechanisms, frequency, and clinical relevance, and to critically revise the currently proposed approaches to its management. Eosinophils increase is in most cases transient, spontaneously resolving, without any clinical relevance and no impact on efficacy. In fact, dupilumab safety profile is overall comparable with the other monoclonal antibody of the same drug class.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Blood eosinophil count itself should not preclude dupilumab prescription, neither lead to dupilumab discontinuation, especially in the presence of ascertained drug efficacy and in the absence of signs suggesting a eosinophils-related complication. However, an extensive diagnostic work-up and regular follow-up monitoring is indicated, especially in patients with increased baseline eosinophils and coexisting nasal polyps and asthma.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"625-635"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145752412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marco Caminati, Marco Zurlo, Giuseppe Guida, Francesca Bertolini, Stefano Levra, Matteo Maule, Fabio Luigi Massimo Ricciardolo, Alessandra Vultaggio
{"title":"Traditional biomarkers and clinical hallmarks in the frame of epithelial driven airways inflammation.","authors":"Marco Caminati, Marco Zurlo, Giuseppe Guida, Francesca Bertolini, Stefano Levra, Matteo Maule, Fabio Luigi Massimo Ricciardolo, Alessandra Vultaggio","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2025.2604319","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2025.2604319","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The airway epithelium is composed of different cell types and acts as a physical barrier preventing pathogens, allergens, and microbes from entering the lungs. The recent investigations on epithelial barrier dysfunction-related mechanisms have provided a new perspective to look at asthma pathobiology.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>In this review, we aim to describe the evidence related to epithelial barrier dysfunction and the 'traditional' asthma biomarkers: eosinophils, FeNO, IgE, cytokines, and epithelial barrier dysfunction in order to explore potential connections, inflammatory pathways, potential new therapeutic targets and to identify novel clinical profiles of asthma patients expressing an epithelial-driven disease.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Although the existence of an 'epithelial-driven' profile in asthma is supported by pathobiological evidence, its identification on a clinical ground is still challenging and lacks specific biomarkers. However, by integrating the traditional hallmarks of type 2 inflammation with the clinical evidence of an impaired environment-host interaction, the relevance of epithelial barrier dysfunction as a predominant driver of airway immunity reshaping can be suspected. It has an important impact on treatment selection and overall management in the light of a precision medicine approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"659-671"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145746163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Harnessing innate immunity to prevent viral exacerbations: current strategies and future directions for chronic inflammatory lung disease management.","authors":"Kazuhiro Ito","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2618293","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2026.2618293","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":"609-612"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145992331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}