IN THIS pertinent session, which took place on the second day of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2022, in Barcelona, Spain, experts discussed the impact of crisis on both healthcare providers and patients. Chaired by Anita Simonds, Emeritus Professor of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Imperial College London, UK, and Arzu Yorgancıoğlu, Professor and Head of the Department of Pulmonology at Celal Bayar University, Turkey, the session saw experts and patient representatives share their experiences following the crisis of the Ukraine war.

Advances in technology in recent years increased the long-term survival rate of patients with chronic respiratory failure. As a result, the number of patients receiving long-term home mechanical ventilation (LTHV) support is increasing worldwide.1 The most important step in the management of patients with home mechanical ventilation (HMV) is to ensure adequate oxygenation and ventilation. Successful care at home requires the presence of trained caregivers and accessibility to medical devices and a care team.

The 2022 update of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention proposes a choice of one of the two ‘tracks’ for the management of asthma symptoms and exacerbations (Figure 1). There is a misconception that Track 1 is orientated toward treating symptoms at the cost of long-term asthma control, and that the second track may be superior in preventing or controlling symptoms.

Pulmonary sequelae after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection range from limited abnormalities to major interstitial lung diseases (ILD). Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and cryobiopsy findings, integrated with the clinical and radiological scenario, may help clinicians to correctly manage patients and aid researchers in better understanding the features and pathogenic mechanisms of post-COVID-19 fibrosis.

EMJ are delighted to introduce Professor J. Brady Scott, Director of Clinical Education, Respiratory Care at Rush University, who provided an insight into their diverse and prestigious career as a respiratory therapist, researcher, and educator.

Histology is a key element for the multidisciplinary diagnosis of fibrotic diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (f-DPLD) when the clinical–radiological setting of f-DPLD with high-resolution CT features diagnostic of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) are not present.

The benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) diminish over 12–24 months following programme completion. A repeat PR programme may potentially prevent or reverse this decline in gains and may provide additional benefits.

The emergence of a new virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 triggered a global pandemic, forcing much of the world to adopt lockdown strategies and leading to extraordinary threats to the global healthcare system. The clinical manifestations of the disease, referred to as COVID-19, range from mild, self-limiting flu-like respiratory illness to life-threatening multi-organ failure and death.

Exposure to pollen has been associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms in both allergic and nonallergic individuals. However, the association of pollen exposure with respiratory symptoms during infancy, a particularly vulnerable period for lung development, remains unclear.

Kenya is home to a budding pharma sector, but the country still faces access to medicine challenges. What are they, and how can pharma help?