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RATIONALE: Some patients with severe asthma are immunologically sensitized to one or more fungi, a clinical entity categorized as severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS). It is not known whether SAFS responds to antifungal therapy. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the response of SAFS to oral itraconazole. METHODS: Patients with severe asthma sensitized to at least one of seven fungi by skin prick or specific IgE testing were recruited. All had total IgE less than 1,000 IU/ml and negative Aspergillus precipitins. They were treated with oral itraconazole (200 mg twice daily) or placebo for 32 weeks, with follow-up for 16 weeks. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary end point was change in the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) score, with rhinitis score, total IgE, and respiratory function as secondary end points. Fifty-eight patients were enrolled, of whom 41% had been hospitalized in the previous year. Baseline mean AQLQ score was 4.13 (range, 1-7). At 32 weeks, the improvement (95% confidence interval) in AQLQ score was +0.85 (0.28, 1.41) in the antifungal group, compared with a -0.01 (-0.43, 0.42) change in the placebo group (P = 0.014). Rhinitis score improved (-0.43) in the antifungal, and deteriorated (+0.17) in the placebo group (P = 0.013). Morning peak flow improved (20.8 L/minute, P = 0.028) in the antifungal group. Total serum IgE decreased in the antifungal group (-51 IU/ml) but increased in placebo group (+30 IU/ml) (P = 0.001). No severe adverse events were observed, but seven patients developed adverse events requiring discontinuation, five in the antifungal group. CONCLUSIONS: SAFS responds to oral antifungal therapy as judged by large improvements in quality of life in about 60% of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracofibrosis, which was recently defined as bronchial stenosis with overlying anthracotic mucosa, has been infrequently reported in Asia as a complication of tuberculosis (TB). It has not been reported in the United Kingdom or the United States, or, to our knowledge, in non-Asian patients. We have identified seven cases of patients presenting to a single teaching hospital in the northwest of England over a 13-year period. Only one patient had a history of TB, but six of the seven patients had a history of occupational dust exposure, including one patient with pneumoconiosis. It is possible that anthracofibrosis is an exaggerated endobronchial form of the much more common condition of anthracosis in coal miners and other workers who have been exposed to mineral dusts. Our study suggests that this is essentially a benign condition, although it may progress very slowly, leading to gradually progressive bronchial stenosis. The diagnosis is important because most patients have clinical, radiologic, and bronchoscopic changes that are highly suspicious of malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oxygen guidelines recommend a target saturation range (SpO 2 range) of 88-92 % for patients at risk of hypercapnia. Saturations <88 % and saturations >92 % whilst using supplemental oxygen are associated with increased mortality., Methods: We audited SpO 2 observations of all patients with a prescribed target range of 88-92 % at one hospital over a four-year period., Results: Of 1,045,958 observations from patients with an oxygen prescription, 107,724 (10.3 %) had a target range of 88-92 % (at risk of hypercapnia). 26,668 of these observations (24.8 %) involved oxygen use. 89.6 % of the SpO 2 observations with target SpO 2 range 88-92 % were satisfactory with SpO 2 ≥88 % breathing air or SpO 2 88-92 % breathing oxygen. However, 1.2 % of SpO 2 observations for these patients were too low (<88 %). This was commoner in observations involving use of supplemental oxygen (2.2 %) compared with observations on air (0.9 %). Of the SpO 2 observations with target SpO 2 range 88-92 % which were recorded whilst the patient was receiving supplemental oxygen therapy, 9870 had SpO 2 >92 % (over-oxygenated). This represented 9.2 % of all observations for patients with a target range of 88-92 % and 37.0 % of the 26,668 observations involving use of oxygen for these patients. Compared with nasal cannulae, SpO 2 observations involving use of simple masks, Venturi masks and humidified oxygen were more commonly outside of the target range., Summary: We found that excessive oxygen administration was much commoner than insufficient oxygen therapy for hospital patients at risk of hypercapnia. Excessive oxygen use implies an increased risk of harm to these patients, increased cost, and potentially delayed discharges., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: In the United Kingdom, around 184,000 adults are admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) each year with over 30% receiving mechanical ventilation. Oxygen is the commonest therapeutic intervention provided to these patients but it is unclear how much oxygen should be administered for the best clinical outcomes., Methods: The UK-ROX trial will evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of conservative oxygen therapy (the minimum oxygen concentration required to maintain an oxygen saturation of 90% ± 2%) versus usual oxygen therapy in critically ill adults receiving supplemental oxygen when invasively mechanically ventilated in ICUs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The trial will recruit 16,500 patients from approximately 100 UK adult ICUs. Using a deferred consent model, enrolled participants will be randomly allocated (1:1) to conservative or usual oxygen therapy until ICU discharge or 90 days after randomisation., Objectives: The primary clinical outcome is all cause mortality at 90 days following randomisation., Discussion: The UK-ROX trial has received ethical approval from the South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee (Reference: 20/SC/0423) and the Confidentiality Advisory Group (Reference: 22/CAG/0154). The trial commenced in May 2021 and, at the time of publication, 95 sites had opened to recruitment., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Intensive Care Society 2024.)

Background: The optimal target oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) range for hospital inpatients not at risk of hypercapnia is unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the impact on oxygen usage and National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) of changing the standard SpO 2 target range from 94-98% to 92-96%., Methods: In a metropolitan UK hospital, a database of electronic bedside SpO 2 measurements, oxygen prescriptions and NEWS2 records was reviewed. Logistic regression was used to compare the proportion of hypoxaemic SpO 2 values (<90%) and NEWS2 records ≥5 in 2019, when the target SpO 2 range was 94-98%; with 2022, when the target range was 92-96%., Results: In 2019, 218 of 224 936 (0.10%) observations on room air and 162 of 11 328 (1.43%) on oxygen recorded an SpO 2 <90%, and in 2022, 251 of 225 970 (0.11%) and 233 of 12 845 (1.81%), respectively (risk difference 0.04%, 95% CI 0.02% to 0.07%). NEWS2 ≥5 was observed in 3009 of 236 264 (1.27%) observations in 2019 and 4061 of 238 815 (1.70%) in 2022 (risk difference 0.43%, 0.36% to 0.50%; p<0.001). The proportion of patients using supplemental oxygen with hyperoxaemia (SpO 2 100%) was 5.4% in 2019 and 3.9% in 2022 (OR 0.71, 0.63 to 0.81; p<0.001)., Discussion: The proportion of observations with SpO 2 <90% or NEWS2 ≥5 was greater with the 92-96% range; however, absolute differences were very small and of doubtful clinical relevance, in contrast to hyperoxaemia for which the proportion was markedly less in 2022. These findings support proposals that the British Thoracic Society oxygen guidelines could recommend a lower target SpO 2 range., Competing Interests: Competing interests: BRO'D was the chair of the BTS Guideline Development Committee in 2008 and 2017. RB has received research funding from Fisher and Paykel Healthcare and is a member of the TSANZ adult oxygen guidelines group., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: All of the authors of this manuscript are investigators for the NIHR Health Technology Assessment funded UK-ROX (Intensive Care Unit Randomised Trial Comparing Two Approaches to OXygen Therapy) trial (https://www.icnarc.org/Our-Research/Studies/Uk-Rox/About)DM: lecture and consultancy fees from Siemens Healthineers and Edwards Lifesciences. Director of Oxygen Control Systems. MG served as chair of the NHSE guidance on the management of critical care for adults with COVID-19. MG serves on the medical advisory board of Sphere Medical and is a director of Oxygen Control Systems. He has received honoraria for speaking and/or travel expenses from BOC Medical (Linde Group), Edwards Lifesciences and Cortex.

Oxygen is the most commonly used drug in critical care. However, because it is a gas, most clinicians and most patients do not regard it as a drug. For this reason, the use of medical oxygen over the past century has been driven by custom, practice, and "precautionary principles" rather than by scientific principles. Oxygen is a life-saving drug for patients with severe hypoxemia, but, as with all other drugs, too much can be harmful. It has been known for many decades that the administration of supplemental oxygen is hazardous for some patients with COPD and other patients who are vulnerable to retention of carbon dioxide (ie, hypercapnia). It has been recognized more recently that excessive oxygen therapy is associated with significantly increased mortality in critically ill patients, even in the absence of risk factors for hypercapnia. This paper provides a critical overview of past and present oxygen use for critically ill patients and will provide guidance for safer oxygen use in the future., Competing Interests: The authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Introduction: Oxygen is the most commonly administered drug to mechanically ventilated critically ill adults, yet little is known about the optimum oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) target for these patients; the current standard of care is an SpO 2 of 96% or above. Small pilot studies have demonstrated that permissive hypoxaemia (aiming for a lower SpO 2 than normal by using a lower fractional inspired oxygen concentration (FIO 2 )) can be achieved in the critically ill and appears to be safe. This approach has not been evaluated in a National Health Service setting. It is possible that permissive hypoxaemia may be beneficial to critically ill patients thus it requires robust evaluation., Methods and Analysis: Targeted OXygen therapY in Critical illness (TOXYC) is a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate whether recruiting patients to a study of permissive hypoxaemia is possible in the UK. It will also investigate biological mechanisms that may underlie the links between oxygenation and patient outcomes. Mechanically ventilated patients with respiratory failure will be recruited from critical care units at two sites and randomised (1:1 ratio) to an SpO 2 target of either 88%-92% or ≥96% while intubated with an endotracheal tube. Clinical teams can adjust FIO 2 and ventilator settings as they wish to achieve these targets. Clinical information will be collected before, during and after the intervention and blood samples taken to measure markers of systemic oxidative stress. The primary outcome of this study is feasibility, which will be assessed by recruitment rate, protocol adherence and withdrawal rates. Secondary outcomes will include a comparison of standard critical care outcome measures between the two intervention groups, and the measurement of biomarkers of systemic oxidative stress. The results will be used to calculate a sample size, likely number of sites and overall length of time required for a subsequent large multicentre RCT., Ethics and Dissemination: This study was approved by the London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee on 2 November 2017 (REC Reference 17/LO/1334) and received HRA approval on 13 November 2017. Results from this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, at medical and scientific meetings, in the NIHR Journals Library and patient information websites., Trial Registration Number: NCT03287466; Pre-results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: DSM, MM and MPWG are directors of a company developing an oxygen delivery device (Oxygen Control Ltd). DSM has received honoraria and consultancy fees from Siemens Healthcare, Masimo, Deltex and Edwards Lifesciences. MPWG is the National Specialty Lead for Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine and Pain within the UK National Institute of Heath Research Clinical Research Network, an elected council member of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and serves on the board of the Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) social enterprise and the medical advisory board of Sphere Medical Ltd. MPWG has received honoraria for speaking and/or travel expenses from Edwards Lifesciences, Fresenius-Kabi, BOC Medical (Linde Group), Ely-Lilly Critical Care, and Cortex GmBH. MPWG is executive chair of the Xtreme-Everest Oxygen Research Consortium and joint Editor-in-Chief of the journal Perioperative Medicine. MM is a consultant for Baxter, Edwards Lifesciences and Deltex; his University Chair is supported by Smiths Medical; Elected Council Member Royal College of Anaesthetsists; Editorial Board BJA and Critical Care; Founding Editor-in-Chief Perioperative Medicine., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Deterioration, or a new presentation, of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), are recognized complications of pregnancy. In this report, we describe a patient with a family history of PAH who developed peripartum breathlessness and hypoxemia with ventilation-perfusion mismatch but no evidence of thromboembolism or PAH. Significantly reduced perfusion at both lung bases was noted on perfusion scintigraphy and three-dimensional magnetic resonance (3D-MR) perfusion maps in the immediate postpartum period. These abnormalities spontaneously resolved by 16 weeks postpartum, consistent with reversible pulmonary abnormalities of pulmonary perfusion. However, she developed new breathlessness four years later and was found to have developed PAH. This case provides a mechanism which may contribute to the high mortality seen in pregnant patients with PAH in the peripartum period.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: LH has received research funding support from Bayer PLC. VM has received lecture and meeting attendance support from Chiesi, GSK and AstraZeneca.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: LH has received research funding support from Bayer PLC. VM has received lecture and meeting attendance support from Chiesi, GSK and AstraZeneca.

Background: Patients can be harmed by receiving too little or too much oxygen. There is ongoing disagreement about the use of oxygen in medical emergencies., Methods: This was a mixed methods study (survey, telephone interviews and focus groups) involving patients, the public and healthcare professionals (HCPs)., Results: 62 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 65 members of the public, 68 ambulance crew members, 22 doctors, 22 nurses and 10 hospital managers took part. For five factual questions about oxygen therapy, the average score for correct answers was 28% for patients with COPD, 33% for the general public and 75% for HCPs. The HCPs had an average score of 66% for five technical questions. Patients (79%) and members of the public (68%) were more likely than HCPs (36%) to believe that oxygen was beneficial in most medical emergencies and less likely to have concerns that it might harm some people (35%, 25% and 68%). All groups had complex attitudes about research into oxygen use in medical emergencies. Many participants would not wish for themselves or their loved ones to have their oxygen therapy determined by a randomised protocol, especially if informed consent was not possible in an emergency situation., Conclusions: We have found low levels of factual knowledge about oxygen use among patients with COPD and the general public and many false beliefs about the potential benefits and harms of using oxygen. HCPs had a higher level of factual knowledge. All groups had complex attitudes towards research into emergency oxygen use.

The British Thoracic Society (BTS) guideline for emergency oxygen use in adult patients was commissioned by the BTS and developed in conjunction with 21 other colleges and societies prior to publication in 2008. One of the specific aims of the Guideline Development Group was to audit the use of oxygen in UK hospitals before the guideline was published and at intervals afterwards.

Background: Previous small studies suggested SBOT may be ineffective in relieving breathlessness after exercise in COPD., Methods: 34 COPD patients with FEV1 <40% predicted and resting oxygen saturation ≥93% undertook an exercise step test 4 times. After exercise, patients were given 4 l/min of oxygen from a simple face mask, 4 l/min air from a face mask (single blind), air from a fan or no intervention., Results: Average oxygen saturation fell from 95.0% to 91.3% after exercise. The mean time to subjective recovery was 3.3 minutes with no difference between treatments. The mean Borg breathlessness score was 1.5/10 at rest, rising to 5.1/10 at the end of exercise (No breathlessness = 0, worst possible breathlessness = 10). Oxygen therapy had no discernable effect on Borg scores even for 14 patients who desaturated below 90%. 15 patients had no preferred treatment, 7 preferred oxygen, 6 preferred the fan, 3 preferred air via a mask and 3 preferred room air., Conclusions: This study provides no support for the idea that COPD patients who are not hypoxaemic at rest derive noticeable benefit from oxygen therapy after exercise. Use of air from a mask or from a fan had no apparent physiological or placebo effect.

Background: Following reports from the National Patient Safety Agency of deaths and serious harm from intercostal chest drains (ICD) we conducted a national survey among chest physicians of their experience of harm associated with ICD., Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 198 UK chest physicians at 148 acute hospital trusts, enquiring about current practice and any adverse incidents related to chest drains from 2003 to 2008., Results: 101 of 148 trusts (68%) replied. 67 trusts reported at least one major incident involving ICD insertion. 31 Cases of ICD misplacement were reported with seven deaths. Misplaced drains were inserted in liver (10), peritoneal space (6), heart (5), spleen (5), subclavian vessels (2), colon (1), oesophagus (1) and inferior vena cava (1). 47 cases of serious lung or chest wall injuries with eight deaths and six cases of ICD placement on the wrong side with two deaths were reported. The guidewire was lost in the pleural cavity in three cases. 22 of 101 trusts required written patient consent before ICD insertion. 11 trusts had a training policy. 16 trusts had patient information literature for this procedure. The seniority of doctors permitted to insert ICDs was as follows: 30% any doctor; 27% at least 1 year post qualification; 32% at least 2 years, 11% at least 4 years., Conclusions: 67% of responding trusts had encountered major complications of ICD. The survey raised concerns about training and consent. The National Patient Safety Agency has made recommendations to address these risks which are also addressed in the 2009 update of the British Thoracic Society Pleural Disease Guideline.

Background: It has been shown that patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and patients with severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS) can benefit from antifungal therapy. It is not known whether allergy skin prick tests (SPT) or specific IgE tests are more sensitive in the identification of patients who are sensitized to fungi and who are therefore candidates for antifungal therapy., Objectives: To compare SPT and specific serum IgE tests for fungal sensitization in patients with severe asthma., Methods: We have undertaken SPT and specific serum IgE tests to six fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Penicillium notatum, Cladosporium herbarum, Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cineria) and specific serum IgE test for Trichophyton in 121 patients with severe asthma (British Thoracic Society/SIGN steps 4 and 5)., Results: Sixty-six percent of patients were sensitized to one or more fungi based on SPT and/or specific serum IgE results. Positivity to SPT and/or specific serum IgE was as follows: A. fumigatus 45%, C. albicans 36%, P. notatum 29%, C. herbarum 24%, A. alternata 22%, B. cineria 18%, Trichophyton 17% (specific serum IgE only). Concordance between the tests was 77% overall but only 14-56% for individual fungi. Twenty-nine (24%) patients were sensitized to a single fungus and seven (6%) were sensitized to all seven fungal species. Fifty percent of patients were sensitized to fungal and non-fungal extracts, 21% were sensitized only to non-fungal extracts, 16% were sensitized only to fungal extracts and 13% had no positive tests., Conclusion: This study is consistent with previous reports that fungal sensitization is common in patients with severe asthma. At present, it remains necessary to undertake both SPT and specific serum IgE testing to identify all cases of fungal sensitization. This may be important in the identification of patients with ABPA and SAFS who may benefit from antifungal therapy.

Background: Oxygen is widely used but poorly studied in emergency medicine, with a limited evidence base for its use in specific conditions. There are safety concerns about the underuse of oxygen in patients with critical illness and its overuse in conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A baseline audit was required to assess current practice prior to the introduction of new national emergency oxygen guidelines in late 2008., Methods: The use of pulse oximetry and oxygen therapy was audited in patients brought by ambulance to the "majors" section of the emergency department (ED) in a university hospital. Oxygen therapy in the ambulance and the ED was subsequently documented. Oxygen use in ambulances was compared with Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee (JRCALC) guidance and with subsequent patient management., Results: The ambulance and ED records of 1022 patients were audited manually. Oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) was recorded for 90% of patients, 17% of whom had SpO(2) <94% at some time and 7% had SpO(2) <90%, including 33% of patients with COPD and 5.5% of patients without COPD. 34% of patients received oxygen in the ambulance and almost half of these had oxygen discontinued in the ED. Only 62% of ambulance oxygen use was in accordance with JRCALC guidance, but most "undertreated" patients were stable normoxaemic patients for whom guidance recommends high-flow oxygen. Only 58% of patients with COPD were correctly identified in the ambulance and 73% of these patients were treated with flow rates >4 l/min (equivalent to >35% oxygen)., Conclusions: Oxygen use in ambulances is very common, equivalent to 2.2 million episodes annually in the UK. The quality of oxygen use is suboptimal, especially for patients with COPD. Emergency oxygen therapy will become simpler when new evidence-based UK emergency oxygen guidelines are published, and it is hoped that future audits will show better protocol adherence.