TOP STORIES
respiratory
Public Health

Silicosis taskforce recommendations slammed as ‘too little too late’

The long-awaited final report of the National Dust Disease Taskforce has been slammed for deferring action on occupational silicosis in stonemasons for up to three years. Set up in 2019, the Taskforce’s report handed to health minister Greg Hunt on...

The long-awaited final report of the National Dust Disease Taskforce has been slammed for deferring action on occupational silicosis...

Read more
public-health

Respiratory physician banned from Twitter for ‘COVID is airborne’ tweet

Medical experts and evidence-based medicine advocates have sprung to the defence of a respiratory physician who was banned from Twitter for the ‘offence’ of stating that COVID-19 is airborne pathogen. Dr Matthew Knight (@drmknight), a Consultant Respiratory Physician at West...

Medical experts and evidence-based medicine advocates have sprung to the defence of a respiratory physician who was banned from Twitter...
public-health

National silicosis elimination agency needed: RACP

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is calling for the establishment of a lead multi-agency group to drive the elimination of accelerated silicosis caused by the artificial stone cutting industry. In a response to consultations by the recently established National Dust...

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is calling for the establishment of a lead multi-agency group to drive the elimination...
public-health

TSANZ’s Top-5 ‘Do Not Do’ recommendations for practices that are not helpful and possibly harmful

The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) has drawn up its list of low-value tests, treatments and procedures that should be phased out because they are ineffective, wasteful and harmful. The top five ‘do not do’ respiratory practices have...

The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) has drawn up its list of low-value tests, treatments and procedures...
public-health

News in brief: Substantial dyspnoea burden in Australian adults; TSANZ medal for pulmonary rehab expert; Pulmonary changes persist long after COVID-19 hospitalisation

Dyspnoea reported by 10% of adults About one in 10 Australians report clinically important levels of breathlessness, according to new findings that suggest underdiagnosis of conditions such as COPD and heart failure. The National Breathlessness Survey conducted in 2019 involving more than 10,000...

Dyspnoea reported by 10% of adults About one in 10 Australians report clinically important levels of breathlessness, according to new findings that...
public-health

News in brief: Screen OSA patients for primary aldosteronism; Fibrinogen levels predict COPD exacerbations; Vapers given six months notice

Screening after sleep studies will reveal primary aldosteronism People with both hypertension and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) should be routinely screened for primary aldosteronism (PA). A prospective study of 85 patients referred for sleep studies found the proportion of the total cohort...

Screening after sleep studies will reveal primary aldosteronism People with both hypertension and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) should be routinely screened...
public-health

Disparities in kids’ bronchiectasis management highlighted in ERS guidelines

New guidelines on bronchiectasis in children are aiming to raise more awareness of key aspects of diagnosis and treatment in younger age groups, after evidence found there are large disparities in standards of care and outcomes. There are substantial...

New guidelines on bronchiectasis in children are aiming to raise more awareness of key aspects of diagnosis and treatment...
public-health

Welcome the new lung emoji

We can’t think how we managed without it but expect to see the new lung emoji used liberally in texts and tweets from now on. https://twitter.com/ProfHurst/status/1330050829630451712 A proposal for a lung emoji has been approved by the lords of the internet and...

We can’t think how we managed without it but expect to see the new lung emoji used liberally in texts...
public-health

Rejection of heat-not-burn tobacco sales welcomed by Lung Foundation

The TGA’s rejection of a bid by tobacco companies to sell ‘heat-not-burn’ (HnB) vaping products in Australia has been welcomed by Lung Foundation Australia. On 10 June the regulator rejected an application by Philip Morris International to exempt nicotine in tobacco...

The TGA’s rejection of a bid by tobacco companies to sell ‘heat-not-burn’ (HnB) vaping products in Australia has been welcomed by...
public-health

Quarantined respiratory physician under Public Health Order

Brisbane respiratory and sleep physician Dr Glenn Rice-McDonald is among a group of doctors caught up in tough new regulations requiring enforced quarantine in hotel rooms at the port of entry for all returning travellers to Australia. ...

Brisbane respiratory and sleep physician Dr Glenn Rice-McDonald is among a group of doctors caught up in tough...
public-health

COVID-19 impacts respiratory conferences

Some respiratory societies are adopting a watch-and-wait approach to the impact of coronavirus on their annual conferences while others have had to change long-held plans. Currently, TSANZSRS is still scheduled to go ahead in Melbourne at the end of this month...

Some respiratory societies are adopting a watch-and-wait approach to the impact of coronavirus on their annual conferences while others have...
public-health

Urgent need for a national health protection strategy against bushfire smoke

Lung Foundation Australia has backed calls for an independent national expert committee on air pollution and health protection to be urgently established following the catastrophic bushfire season in Australia. Australia can’t wait for the results of the Bushfires Royal Commission to...

Lung Foundation Australia has backed calls for an independent national expert committee on air pollution and health protection to be...
public-health

Vaping backed for smoking cessation in ‘pragmatic’ new RACGP guidelines

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has given a conditional recommendation for the use of e-cigarettes as a last resort in smoking cessation guidelines. However the College stresses the move is not a major shift in policy or...

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has given a conditional recommendation for the use of e-cigarettes as a...
public-health

Unchartered territory as bushfires ignite lung health concerns

Feeling nostalgic for the years when the summer injury toll was some bad cases of sunburn and heatstroke? Those halcyon days appear to be long gone with 2019 now established as Australia’s hottest and driest year on...

Feeling nostalgic for the years when the summer injury toll was some bad cases of sunburn and heatstroke? ...
public-health

Respiratory groups unite to oppose e-cigarettes for smoking cessation

Respiratory representative groups have joined other health organisations to oppose the use of e-cigarettes as an aid to smoking cessation. Lung Foundation Australia and Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand joined with Cancer Council and public health groups to back...

Respiratory representative groups have joined other health organisations to oppose the use of e-cigarettes as an aid to smoking cessation. Lung...
public-health

Life threatening lung inflammation triggered by e-cig fluid reaction

Clinicians should consider a potential allergic reaction to e-cigarettes in someone presenting with an atypical respiratory illness, doctors advise.  In a case study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, Dr...

Clinicians should consider a potential allergic reaction to e-cigarettes in someone presenting with an atypical respiratory illness, doctors...
public-health

Twitter algorithm gives early warning of thunderstorm asthma

An algorithm that monitors Twitter for breathing problem keywords could detect a thunderstorm asthma event nine hours ahead of official reports, its CSIRO developers say. Scientists tested several different keyword algorithms on retrospective social media posts covering the period around the...

An algorithm that monitors Twitter for breathing problem keywords could detect a thunderstorm asthma event nine hours ahead of official...
public-health

Here’s what lung injury from e-cigarettes looks like

Radiologists have published their radiographic and CT findings of lung injury due to e-cigarette use in a bid to raise awareness in the medical community. In a special report, Dr Suhny Abbara and Dr Fernando Uliana Kay from the Department of Radiology...

Radiologists have published their radiographic and CT findings of lung injury due to e-cigarette use in a bid to raise awareness...
public-health

Step by step approach helps chronic cough in kids

A chronic cough management algorithm has been shown to improve cough resolution in children presenting to primary care or hospital emergency departments. The Australian findings support previous evidence for the systematic approach in children presenting to specialist respiratory clinics. The...

A chronic cough management algorithm has been shown to improve cough resolution in children presenting to primary care or hospital...
public-health

Language matters: why the term ‘exacerbation’ should be dropped

Clinicians should avoid the term asthma ‘exacerbation’ because it confuses and misleads patients who think it means a slight deterioration in lung function or modest increase in symptoms, an Australian study has found. Asthma ‘attack’ should be the preferred language...

Clinicians should avoid the term asthma ‘exacerbation’ because it confuses and misleads patients who think it means a slight deterioration...
public-health

Vaping-related lung illness reports divide health experts

Reports of a vaping-related death and hundreds of cases of severe lung illness associated with e-cigarette use in the US have led the highly polarised reactions from Australian experts. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it...

Reports of a vaping-related death and hundreds of cases of severe lung illness associated with e-cigarette use in the US...
public-health

‘Extreme’ SABA overuse seen with pharmacy OTC inhalers

Lax rules that allow people to buy asthma reliever inhalers in retail pharmacies without medical supervision is contributing to widespread overuse of short-acting beta-agonists (SABA), Australian research suggests. A survey of 412 people who bought a SABA inhaler over the counter...

Lax rules that allow people to buy asthma reliever inhalers in retail pharmacies without medical supervision is contributing to widespread...
public-health

Industry focus on niche drugs means nothing in pipeline for major diseases

The focus on rare diseases by the pharmaceutical industry is a dangerous trend that is stifling innovation and neglects major causes of death and disability such as cardiovascular disease, the President of the European Society of Cardiology has...

The focus on rare diseases by the pharmaceutical industry is a dangerous trend that is stifling innovation and...
public-health

Silicosis patients also at risk of scleroderma

Occupational exposure to silica dust can lead to accelerated early-onset scleroderma as well as silicosis, workers are being advised by a personal injury law firm. Young workers in the stone cutting industry are developing autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma and rheumatoid...

Occupational exposure to silica dust can lead to accelerated early-onset scleroderma as well as silicosis, workers are being advised by...
public-health

Pregnant women urged to avoid e-cigarettes

Women who are pregnant, or who think they could be, should avoid using e-cigarettes because of a lack of evidence around their safety, an expert warns. Writing in a viewpoint in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine Associate Professor Alexander Larcombe, Head of Respiratory...

Women who are pregnant, or who think they could be, should avoid using e-cigarettes because of a lack of evidence...
public-health

Lung disease patients have low health literacy

People with asthma have the lowest overall health literacy according to a national health survey conducted by Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Alongside people with mental health and behaviour problems, those with asthma indicated they struggled more with managing their...

People with asthma have the lowest overall health literacy according to a national health survey conducted by Australian Bureau...
public-health

Why female artists and scientists are at risk of obstructive lung disease

Women exposed to aromatic solvents while working as painters, sculptors or lab technicians are at high risk of lung function decline and obstructive airways disease, Australian research shows. Men are also at risk of lung function decline through occupational exposure to...

Women exposed to aromatic solvents while working as painters, sculptors or lab technicians are at high risk of lung function...
public-health

National Dust Diseases Taskforce to be set up this year

A national dust diseases taskforce will be set up to tackle the epidemic of silicosis in workers in the stone cutting industry. Federal minister for health Greg Hunt has made a $5 million pledge towards the task force following renewed calls...

A national dust diseases taskforce will be set up to tackle the epidemic of silicosis in workers in the stone...
public-health

The respiratory impacts of mining extend to communities: expert

Coal mining is not only an occupational health issue for miners but also a public health issue for residents, particularly in vulnerable communities. Professor Michael Hendryx, from the University of Indiana and a Fulbright Distinguished Chair at the University of Newcastle,...

Coal mining is not only an occupational health issue for miners but also a public health issue for residents, particularly...
public-health

RACP calls for urgent action on dust diseases recommendations

The RACP has urged states and territories to adopt TSANZ recommendations to tackle the burgeoning epidemic of silicosis in the manufactured stone industry. The College has welcomed a NSW review of its Dust Diseases Scheme and has called for all sides of...

The RACP has urged states and territories to adopt TSANZ recommendations to tackle the burgeoning epidemic of silicosis in the...
public-health

$4 million launch for National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions

The Lung Foundation of Australia has welcomed government funding of $4 million for its National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions, describing it as “a step in the right direction”. The Plan, launched in Canberra on by Federal Minister for...

The Lung Foundation of Australia has welcomed government funding of $4 million for its National Strategic Action Plan for...
public-health

Landmark trial should put e-cigs into smoking cessation programs

E-cigarettes are nearly twice as effective as nicotine-replacement therapy at helping smokers to quit cigarettes, according to a new randomised trial. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed the abstinence rate at one-year...

E-cigarettes are nearly twice as effective as nicotine-replacement therapy at helping smokers to quit cigarettes, according to a...
public-health

Soccer coaches are offside when it comes to asthma goals

Volunteer soccer coaches have limited knowledge on how to manage asthma in young players, a large-scale study finds. Canadian researchers found 93% of coaches who responded to a 22-question online survey had not received any asthma-related...

Volunteer soccer coaches have limited knowledge on how to manage asthma in young players, a large-scale study...
public-health

Lung Foundation launches campaign to tackle lack of empathy for lung cancer

The Lung Foundation Australia is launching a campaign to counter the stigma around lung cancer that acts as a barrier to people with the disease getting treatment and support. The belief that all lung cancer is due to smoking - and...

The Lung Foundation Australia is launching a campaign to counter the stigma around lung cancer that acts as a barrier...
public-health

Uncontrolled asthma common in school students: survey

High rates of asthma are reported by Australian school students, among whom around two thirds have poorly controlled or uncontrolled disease. Almost 14% of students aged 10-14 years said they had current asthma, in a survey of 9663 students at 103...

High rates of asthma are reported by Australian school students, among whom around two thirds have poorly controlled or uncontrolled...
public-health

Respiratory physician honoured for role in Indigenous health

Professor Paul Torzillo has been awarded the Menzies Medallion in recognition of his contribution to improving the health of Aboriginal people across urban, rural and remote Australia. The Menzies Medallion is the highest award offered by the Northern Territory’s Menzies School...

Professor Paul Torzillo has been awarded the Menzies Medallion in recognition of his contribution to improving the health of Aboriginal...
public-health

Revised MBS Items for sleep studies will change referral pathways for OSA

Long-awaited revised MBS items for laboratory- and home-based sleep studies for OSA patients come into effect on November 1. The three new and two revised MBS items now require GPs to determine patient eligibility for sleep study direct referrals using approved...

Long-awaited revised MBS items for laboratory- and home-based sleep studies for OSA patients come into effect on November 1. The ...
public-health

Silicosis crisis in stonemasons prompts government promises of action

Federal, state and territory health ministers have agreed to further investigate the creation of a national dust diseases register in response to concerns about the re-emergence of silicosis in Australian workplaces. Sustained media attention, culminating in last week’s report on the...

Federal, state and territory health ministers have agreed to further investigate the creation of a national dust diseases register in...
public-health

Dr Kerry Hancock honoured for leading role in respiratory medicine

A long-standing commitment to respiratory health has helped the Lung Foundation's Dr Kerry Hancock scoop an honorary fellowship with the RACGP. The Adelaide-based GP is chair of the RACGP’s Specific Interests Respiratory Medicine network, and has been involved in developing education...

A long-standing commitment to respiratory health has helped the Lung Foundation's Dr Kerry Hancock scoop an honorary fellowship with the...
public-health

The biggest lung disease crisis since asbestos: silicosis in stonemasons

Silicosis is no longer a 'historical' disease, according to respiratory physicians who are sounding the alarm about a rapidly-emerging crisis among stonemasons exposed to silica dust while cutting stone for kitchen benchtops. Clinics are seeing rapidly increasing numbers of  cases  in...

Silicosis is no longer a 'historical' disease, according to respiratory physicians who are sounding the alarm about a rapidly-emerging crisis...
public-health

Respiratory trials still flouting the rules

A significant proportion of respiratory clinical trials  are registered after the trial has started despite a long-standing policy on mandatory prospective trial registration, a new study shows. The study published in ERJ Express reviewed all of the randomised trials published in...

A significant proportion of respiratory clinical trials  are registered after the trial has started despite a long-standing policy on mandatory...
public-health

Air pollution reaching the womb

Early research from the UK has provided the first evidence that soot from polluted air is reaching the placenta. The findings, presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2018 in Paris, reinforce the Society’s call for improved air quality legislation...

Early research from the UK has provided the first evidence that soot from polluted air is reaching the placenta. The findings,...
public-health

Big Tobacco vs Australia’s Plain Packaging

Australia was the first country in the world to mandate plain tobacco packaging and, despite ongoing litigation, the tobacco industry’s fears are being realised as others follow suit Australia’s starkly ‘plain’ tobacco packages are now a familiar sight. Since December 2012,...

Australia was the first country in the world to mandate plain tobacco packaging and, despite ongoing litigation, the tobacco industry’s...
public-health

‘Pulmonary immunisation’ may offer better protection against TB

Australian researchers are a step closer to developing a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis based on a novel ‘pulmonary immunisation’ technique. Scientists at the Centenary Institute in Sydney have demonstrated how an influenza-based vaccine can be used to activate CD4+ memory T...

Australian researchers are a step closer to developing a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis based on a novel ‘pulmonary immunisation’...
public-health

New CEO takes the helm at Lung Foundation Australia

Lung Foundation Australia's incoming boss Mark Brooke says removing the stigma around lung cancer and strengthening ties with clinicians will be top priorities under his leadership. Mr Brooke, who was previously CEO of Asthma Australia and HeartKids, takes the reins of...

Lung Foundation Australia's incoming boss Mark Brooke says removing the stigma around lung cancer and strengthening ties with clinicians will...
public-health

Machine learning could give early warning of respiratory epidemics

A national surveillance system for respiratory epidemics could use machine learning to analyse real time data and give early warning of emerging events such as thunderstorm asthma, an expert panel has been told. A national workshop of stakeholders convened in...

A national surveillance system for respiratory epidemics could use machine learning to analyse real time data and give early warning...
public-health

Mesothelioma risk misunderstood, says specialist

A medical oncologist is sounding the alarm over mesothelioma, warning a crisis in medical research funding is putting all Australians at risk. Professor Anna Nowak, director of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases at the University of Western Australia, has...

A medical oncologist is sounding the alarm over mesothelioma, warning a crisis in medical research funding is putting all Australians...
public-health

Lung cancer patients pay more than $20,000 in upfront fees

One quarter of cancer patients are paying more than $20,000 in up-front doctors' fees for their treatment, a new study suggests. Australian researchers linked data from 452 patients with melanoma and breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancer to Medicare data on...

One quarter of cancer patients are paying more than $20,000 in up-front doctors' fees for their treatment, a new study...
public-health

Lung cancer awareness campaigns should focus on cough: study

People with lung cancer who present  to their doctor with an isolated cough survive twice as long as people who present with other symptoms, new research shows. While the findings most likely relate to diagnosis at...

People with lung cancer who present  to their doctor with an isolated cough survive twice as long as...
public-health

Sneezes on a plane: study shows in-flight respiratory infection transmission risk

An airline passenger with influenza or other respiratory infection will not transmit infection to passengers seated more than two seats away laterally or one row in front or back, US research...

An airline passenger with influenza or other respiratory infection will not...
public-health

Respiratory disease rates appear higher at coal seam gas sites

Children living near coal seam gas extraction sites are more likely to be hospitalised for respiratory diseases than children in other areas, an Australian study has found. Queensland University researchers compared age-specific hospitalisation rates for almost 81,000 children living in...

Children living near coal seam gas extraction sites are more likely to be hospitalised for respiratory diseases than children in...
public-health

Sublingual immunotherapy tablets are best protection against thunderstorm asthma

Sublingual immunotherapy has been proposed as the mainstay of protection against future epidemics of thunderstorm asthma based on findings from a small Victorian study. Seventeen patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis showed no symptoms during Melbourne’s severe thunderstorm asthma event of...

Sublingual immunotherapy has been proposed as the mainstay of protection against future epidemics of thunderstorm asthma based on findings from...
public-health

Prof Guy Marks: why it’s time to quit research into smoking

Researchers in COPD epidemiology should be investing their time, energy and skills into areas other than smoking, according to a leading respiratory and public health physician. In an editorial in Thorax, Professor Guy Marks said policy and practice regarding smoking...

Researchers in COPD epidemiology should be investing their time, energy and skills into areas other than smoking, according to a...
public-health

UK health professionals told to encourage vaping: report

Health professionals should encourage more smokers to make the switch to e-cigarettes, an updated review commissioned by Public Health England concludes.Written by an independent panel of experts the review goes as...

Health professionals should encourage more smokers to make the switch to e-cigarettes, an updated review commissioned by Public...
public-health

SA urged to act after being branded ‘worst state’ for asthma

South Australia must take positive steps to lose its reputation as the state with the worst record on asthma, health advocates claim. Asthma Australia says SA has the highest rate of asthma-related hospitalisations in the country, with 3700 annual admissions for...

South Australia must take positive steps to lose its reputation as the state with the worst record on asthma, health...
public-health

Date set for MBS pulmonary rehab decision

There are high hopes that community-based pulmonary rehabilitation will be subsidised by Medicare before the end of the year, after the government set a date to consider the request. It’s been more than three years since the Lung Foundation Australia first...

There are high hopes that community-based pulmonary rehabilitation will be subsidised by Medicare before the end of the year, after...
public-health

Budget cuts will ‘decimate’ asthma services

Asthma Australia warns budget cuts will “decimate” its programs and prevent it from helping thousands of Australians manage their airways disease. The national organisation runs support and education programs used by over 50,000 people, including a phone hotline, with 60% of...

Asthma Australia warns budget cuts will “decimate” its programs and prevent it from helping thousands of Australians manage their airways...
public-health

What does 2018 hold for respiratory medicine?

What will be biggest challenges in respiratory medicine in 2018? We ask Australia's respiratory physicians. AsthmaIn 2018 Australia has found itself losing the battle for asthma control, says Professor Peter Gibson, respiratory physician and co-director of the University of Newcastle’s Priority...

What will be biggest challenges in respiratory medicine in 2018? We ask Australia's respiratory physicians. AsthmaIn 2018 Australia has found itself...
public-health

Modest investment will cut hospitalisations and deaths from lung disease: Lung Foundation

The signs of early lung disease are not being picked up in primary care, warns the nation's respiratory health advocacy group which is calling for a national training program to upskill GPs. Lung Foundation Australia has called on the federal government...

The signs of early lung disease are not being picked up in primary care, warns the nation's respiratory health advocacy...
public-health

Case detection of TB can be improved

Australian-led research has demonstrated that active case finding in household contacts of people with tuberculosis is more effective than the standard practice of waiting for family members to seek help for their symptoms. Part of the risk with standard practice is...

Australian-led research has demonstrated that active case finding in household contacts of people with tuberculosis is more effective than the...
public-health

UK attack on academics over vaping evidence “petty”

The UK’s health agency has accused three tobacco control experts of making a “series of factual errors” in evidence to the Australian government’s vaping inquiry. The claims have been levelled against Emeritus Professor Simon Chapman and Dr...

The UK’s health agency has accused three tobacco control experts of making a “series of factual errors” in...
public-health

Plain packs, tax hikes not fuelling illicit trade

Mandatory plain packaging and a rise in tobacco tax have not resulted in a flood of illicit tobacco onto the Sydney market, a trend study shows. Instead, it appears smokers are switching from premium brands to...

Mandatory plain packaging and a rise in tobacco tax have not resulted in a flood of illicit tobacco...
public-health

Caution over generalising vaping study

A leading respiratory expert has cautioned against generalising the findings of  a study that found vaping was not associated with changes in the lung health of nine people who had never smoked. The observational study (read full paper ...

A leading respiratory expert has cautioned against generalising the findings of  a study that found vaping was not associated...
public-health

Re-think what constitutes occupational lung disease

Clinicians are urged to have a high degree of suspicion that the respiratory disease they see in their patients is caused by occupational exposures. And it’s not just asbestos or coal dust that are the concerns. According to a Narrative...

Clinicians are urged to have a high degree of suspicion that the respiratory disease they see in their patients is...
public-health

Pope puts an end to the Holy Smoke

The Pope is doing his part to ban smoking, by ending one of the less healthy perks of Vatican life - cheap cigarettes. Selling tax free tobacco to employees and pensioners, has long been...

The Pope is doing his part to ban smoking, by ending one of the less healthy...
public-health

Vaping concern lights up ERS congress

ERS delegates have been presented with yet more evidence that it is too premature to allow e-cigarettes to be marketed as a ‘safe’ alternative to conventional cigarettes. In one study presented at the ERS congress in Milan, researchers from Sweden asked...

ERS delegates have been presented with yet more evidence that it is too premature to allow e-cigarettes to be marketed...
public-health

Smoke signals at ten paces in vaping inquiry

The parliamentary inquiry into the marketing and regulation of e-cigarettes will hold its second hearing today (September 8) in Canberra. The line-up will include the ACCC, TGA, Department of Health, Cancer Council Australia, National Heart Foundation and the NHMRC. Also set to...

The parliamentary inquiry into the marketing and regulation of e-cigarettes will hold its second hearing today (September 8) in Canberra. The...
public-health

Opportunities to screen and intervene in mental health

A little more effort is required to look for and manage respiratory conditions in people with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. A pilot study of 82 patients admitted to a mental health unit found high rates...

A little more effort is required to look for and manage respiratory conditions in people with severe mental illness such...
public-health

Silicosis tragedy highlights system failure: review

A national register to record cases of work-related dust disease and a system to prevent workplace silicosis are among strategies recommended by a parliamentary review. In findings handed down last week, the NSW Legislative Council’s First Review of the Dust Diseases...

A national register to record cases of work-related dust disease and a system to prevent workplace silicosis are among strategies...
public-health

Oral steroids no good for chest infections

Oral steroids are increasingly being used as a treatment for chest infections as a way to avoid antibiotics, but new research concludes they don't work. The study in JAMA randomised 401 adults with symptoms of acute lower respiratory tract infection to...

Oral steroids are increasingly being used as a treatment for chest infections as a way to avoid antibiotics, but new...
public-health

TSANZ takes hard line approach to e-cigarette regulation

Mounting evidence that electronic cigarettes harm the lungs has led the two peak respiratory bodies to conclude they have no place in any setting other than smoking cessation. In a joint submission to a parliamentary inquiry on vaping, TSANZ and the Lung...

Mounting evidence that electronic cigarettes harm the lungs has led the two peak respiratory bodies to conclude they have no...
public-health

Tunnel exhaust stacks: don’t dare harm our kids … but expose workers

The evidence that living near exhaust stacks from busy tunnels harms your lungs is far from settled. from www.shutterstock.com   This week news broke about the...

The evidence that living near exhaust stacks from busy tunnels harms your...
public-health

New standards will bring spirometry tests up to world-class standard

Public feedback has been invited on TSANZ draft Standards for the delivery of spirometry for coal mine workers and a companion document Standards for spirometry training courses. The Standards will...

Public feedback has been invited on TSANZ draft Standards for...
public-health

Medicalising vaping a waste of time, inquiry told

Adults should be able to purchase nicotine e-cigarettes in shops without a prescription, a parliamentary inquiry has been told. Representatives giving evidence at the inquiry’s first hearing yesterday argued for "light touch" consumer-based regulation, with a possible "therapeutic pathway" for companies...

Adults should be able to purchase nicotine e-cigarettes in shops without a prescription, a parliamentary inquiry has been told. Representatives giving...
public-health

My beef with the AHA’s saturated fat recommendations

The American Heart Association’s position on saturated fat pretends to be science-based but is not, writes Gary Taubes, in a brilliant and wildly popular guest post published here on CardioBrief late last week. The AHA’s statement,...

The American Heart Association’s position on saturated fat pretends to be science-based but is not, writes Gary Taubes, in...
public-health

Popular stone worktop a lung hazard

Scores of people who work with a product hailed as a cheap alternative to marble and granite could be at risk of developing a debilitating lung disease, Australian respiratory physicians warn. Overseas outbreaks of silicosis, an untreatable condition that had been...

Scores of people who work with a product hailed as a cheap alternative to marble and granite could be at...
public-health

Diagnosing lung disease in miners still relies on detailed history taking

A retrospective review of CT and plain radiograph images in miners with radiological and clinical diagnosis of coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) has uncovered a variety of other lung diseases. Seven of the 29 cases referred to a respiratory physician due to...

A retrospective review of CT and plain radiograph images in miners with radiological and clinical diagnosis of coal worker's pneumoconiosis...
public-health

We weren’t ‘looking carefully’ enough for black lung disease

Damning evidence has been heard in the final days of the Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (CWP) inquiry that the health surveillance scheme for Queensland coalminers was fatally flawed. US expert Dr Robert Cohen, medical director of the Black Lung Clinics program at...

Damning evidence has been heard in the final days of the Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (CWP) inquiry that the health surveillance...
public-health

Cytology is sufficient to diagnose most mesothelioma cases

A review of over 2,000 cases of mesothelioma in WA since 1962 has shown a cytological diagnosis of the disease subtype is sufficient. But histological confirmation, which adds delays, is costly and more invasive, remains important in research settings and for...

A review of over 2,000 cases of mesothelioma in WA since 1962 has shown a cytological diagnosis of the disease...
public-health

Respiratory physicians urge Trump to act on climate change

Leading respiratory doctors have joined the chorus of experts urging President Trump not to turn his back on climate change. The group from the UK and US say in their editorial in Thorax that acting on climate change is one...

Leading respiratory doctors have joined the chorus of experts urging President Trump not to turn his back on climate change. The...
public-health

Why coal-fired power stations need to shut on health grounds

The Senate inquiry’s report into the planned closure of coal-fired power stations will no doubt shed light on the compelling health reasons to close them. Coal-fired stations are a health hazard to their local communities and beyond due to the...

The Senate inquiry’s report into the planned closure of coal-fired power stations will no doubt shed light on the...
public-health

Big Tobacco sees its future in cigarettes, not vaping

In 2012, in the early days of the rise of e-cigarettes, Kingsley Wheaton, Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at British American Tobacco, said “Our core business is, and will remain in, tobacco”. So have the intervening four years made...

In 2012, in the early days of the rise of e-cigarettes, Kingsley Wheaton, Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs...
public-health

Video: Don’t forget to ask the ‘killer question’

If you forget to ask the killer question 'what do you do for a job?' during a consult then you are probably placing your patient at a significant disadvantage, according to the latest film by ERS Vision on the impact...

If you forget to ask the killer question 'what do you do for a job?' during a consult then you...
public-health

Death toll from 9/11 attacks continue to grow

At least 1000 people have died from illnesses related to their exposure to toxic dust following the terrorist attack on New York in September 2001. And 37 000 people are officially recognised as sick, many with lung disease. Dr Jim Melius who chairs...

At least 1000 people have died from illnesses related to their exposure to toxic dust following the terrorist attack on...
public-health

Cardiac rehab has issues too

The Heart Foundation’s chief medical advisor has renewed calls for a national annual audit of cardiac rehabilitation programs. Cardiologist Professor Garry Jennings says that despite the proven benefits of cardiac rehabilitation, too many patients are continuing to slip through the cracks...

The Heart Foundation’s chief medical advisor has renewed calls for a national annual audit of cardiac rehabilitation programs. Cardiologist Professor Garry...
public-health

Why obesity is not a ‘left versus right’ issue

libertarianism ˌlɪbəˈtɛːrɪəˌnɪz(ə)m/ noun a laissez-faire political philosophy advocating only minimal state intervention in the lives of citizens; to hold a confidence in free will, free markets and skepticism for government power. ...

libertarianism ˌlɪbəˈtɛːrɪəˌnɪz(ə)m/ noun a laissez-faire political philosophy advocating only minimal state intervention in...
public-health

TSANZ adds voice to stem cell concerns

Australian thoracic specialists have added their collective voice to an international position statement condemning the use of “unproven stem cell interventions for lung diseases” – as the groundswell of multi-disciplinary opposition to the practice grows. And one leading Australian respiratory physicians...

Australian thoracic specialists have added their collective voice to an international position statement condemning the use of “unproven stem cell...
public-health

Call for Indigenous-specific spirometry reference guidelines

Researchers have identified an “urgent” need for the development of spirometry reference values specifically for Indigenous Australians. Existing literature reports lower spirometry values (15-30% lower) in Indigenous Australians compared with people of European ancestry, while there are no studies that have...

Researchers have identified an “urgent” need for the development of spirometry reference values specifically for Indigenous Australians. Existing literature reports lower...
public-health

Be pro-smokers but anti-smoking

The attitude of healthcare professionals to smokers is often negative, stigmatising and unproductive, but can be improved if they help patients to address their problems of dependence rather than simply harassing them to quit. “We need to be pro-smokers, but anti-smoking,”...

The attitude of healthcare professionals to smokers is often negative, stigmatising and unproductive, but can be improved if they help...
public-health

Every aspect of public health to be affected by climate change

It’s difficult to identify an area of public health that will not be affected by climate change, Dr Jeremy Hess from the University of Washington told the ATS meeting. “The direct effects of climate change include increased heat stress, floods and...

It’s difficult to identify an area of public health that will not be affected by climate change, Dr Jeremy Hess...
public-health

Australia’s prohibition of e-cigarettes is out of step with the evidence

A new report by the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom says electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are much safer than smoking and encourages their widespread use by smokers. It concludes that e-cigarettes have huge potential to prevent death...

A new report by the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom says electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are much...
public-health

Better air quality has an impact on respiratory symptoms: study

Improvements in air quality over the past 20 years in southern California have been linked to a significant drop in bronchitic symptoms in children with and without asthma, an observational study in JAMA reports. The prevalence of bronchitic symptoms...

Improvements in air quality over the past 20 years in southern California have been linked to a significant drop...
public-health

National plan needed on coal workers pneumoconiosis: TSANZ

Urgent nation-wide action is needed to bring Australian standards for monitoring and reporting occupational coal dust exposure levels into line with other developed countries the TSANZ has said in a statement. The call comes in response to news last month of...

Urgent nation-wide action is needed to bring Australian standards for monitoring and reporting occupational coal dust exposure levels into line...
public-health

New criteria for defining sepsis

New sepsis and septic shock definitions released by an international task force this week shift the focus to organ dysfunction. The new definitions were presented at the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 45th Critical Care Congress and published simultaneously in JAMA. According...

New sepsis and septic shock definitions released by an international task force this week shift the focus to organ dysfunction. The...
public-health

Air pollution effects persist over time: study

Air pollution has long-term effects on mortality that persist decades after exposure, a large national study finds. The study published in Thorax investigated air pollution exposures in 370 000 individuals in a national census-based cohort followed for 38 years. The research team...

Air pollution has long-term effects on mortality that persist decades after exposure, a large national study finds. The study published in...
public-health

Lancet e-cigarette review ‘grossly misleading’

A meta-analysis published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine that looks at whether e-cigarettes help smokers quit has caused quite a stir. The paper, which reviewed 38 studies suggests those who use e-cigarettes are less likely to quit than smokers who don't. The review...

A meta-analysis published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine that looks at whether e-cigarettes help smokers quit has caused quite a stir....
public-health

‘You’ll see vapers everywhere in Europe’. Well, … no

Every traveller forms impressions about patterns of frequently or seldom seen cultural differences when visiting other countries. You see far fewer women than men on the streets of more conservative Islamic nations, lots of very obese people in the American...

Every traveller forms impressions about patterns of frequently or seldom seen cultural differences when visiting other countries. You see far...
public-health

New cancer drugs are very expensive – here’s how we work out value for our money

The Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs is expected to table its report on the “Availability of new, innovative and specialist cancer drugs in Australia” today. Initiated by South Australian senator Nick Xenophon, the inquiry, which was initially slated...

The Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs is expected to table its report on the “Availability of new, innovative...
public-health

“Zombie” tobacco industry arguments a threat: experts

The tobacco industry’s epic fight against plain packaging in Australia should not be allowed to become “zombie” arguments in other countries, respiratory experts warn. Writing in an editorial in Respirology Mike Daube President of the Australian Council on Smoking and...

The tobacco industry’s epic fight against plain packaging in Australia should not be allowed to become “zombie” arguments in other...
public-health

Enthusiasm for precision medicine ‘premature’ : experts

The increasing focus on  'precision' medicine is misguided, detracting from broader investments to reduce health inequities, two US public health experts argue. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine Sandro Galea and Ronald Bayer noted that the...

The increasing focus on  'precision' medicine is misguided, detracting from broader investments to reduce health inequities, two US...
public-health

E-cig flavours a respiratory worry

The levels of chemicals used to flavour e-cigarette fluid exceed recommended exposure limits and some could be respiratory irritants,  research suggests. Writing in Tobacco Control the authors from Portland State University argue for regulation which should include compulsory ingredient listing, limiting...

The levels of chemicals used to flavour e-cigarette fluid exceed recommended exposure limits and some could be respiratory irritants,  ...
public-health

Asbestos time bomb in Asia

Asia is on track for a tsunami of asbestos diseases, warns a team of respiratory and asbestosis experts. In an invited review in Respirology the team which included Bruce Robinson from the National...

Asia is on track for a tsunami of asbestos diseases, warns a team of respiratory...
public-health

Fine particle pollution linked to anxiety

Exposure to small particulate matter is associated with an increased risk of anxiety, a large observational study suggests. Using data from more than 70,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study the researchers found exposure to fine particles...

Exposure to small particulate matter is associated with an increased risk of anxiety, a large observational...
public-health

Stop bagging us says Lung Foundation

The respiratory community needs to stop 'bagging' the Lung Foundation and start supporting it says its President. In a speech to delegates as part of the LFA awards David Serisier said the organisation was the best vehicle to advance respiratory health in...

The respiratory community needs to stop 'bagging' the Lung Foundation and start supporting it says its President. In a speech to...
public-health

Experts call for a tobacco free world by 2040

A tobacco-free world – where less than 5% of adults use tobacco – could be possible in less than three decades, argue public health experts from New Zealand. According to Professor Robert Beaglehole and Ruth Bonita from the University of Auckland...

A tobacco-free world – where less than 5% of adults use tobacco – could be possible in less than three...
public-health

Death from sepsis high in kids

A quarter of children with severe sepsis die in hospital, finds the largest international study to date. The SPROUT study of nearly 7,000 critically ill children across 128 centres and 26 sites including Australia revealed a sepsis prevalence of 8.2%,...

A quarter of children with severe sepsis die in hospital, finds the largest international study to date. The SPROUT study...
public-health

Trans-Pacific deal a threat to generics

A leaked draft of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement includes changes to patenting standards that could see cheaper generics delayed by up to 20 years, an expert says. Writing in the MJA Dr Deborah Gleeson from La Trobe University in Melbourne...

A leaked draft of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement includes changes to patenting standards that could see cheaper generics delayed...
public-health

Smoking: new Australian data to die (or live) for

A new study of deaths from all causes in New South Wales published today in BMC Medicine reports both some very bad and very good news about smoking. Up until now, Australian estimates of the death and disease risks of smoking...

A new study of deaths from all causes in New South Wales published today in BMC Medicine reports both some...
public-health

Flawed study overstates link between fluoride and ill health

Researchers have widely criticised a new study that questions the safety of water fluoridation, arguing the findings were overstated and the study poorly designed. The paper, published in the Journal of Epidemiological & Community Health, links fluoridated water to...

Researchers have widely criticised a new study that questions the safety of water fluoridation, arguing the findings were overstated...