Australia’s biggest construction union has declared it will go it alone and ban members from working with silicosis-linked engineered (artificial) stone if the Federal Government fails to take effective action. The declaration comes after the government announced earlier this year...

Australia’s biggest construction union has declared it will go it alone and ban members from working with silicosis-linked engineered (artificial)...

Electronic cigarettes containing nicotine are more effective than licensed nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) at helping people quit smoking, an updated Cochrane review has concluded. Six studies involving 2,378 participants provided “high-certainty evidence” that vapes with nicotine increase quit rates...

Electronic cigarettes containing nicotine are more effective than licensed nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) at helping people quit smoking, an...

Microbicidal ultraviolet lamps are being touted as a potential solution to the problem of indoor airborne transmission of respiratory infections and could be used to “supplement ventilation” in crowded spaces, it is being argued. Respiratory physician and academic Professor Guy Marks...

Microbicidal ultraviolet lamps are being touted as a potential solution to the problem of indoor airborne transmission of respiratory infections...

Obesity accounts for around a quarter of breathlessness symptoms in Australian adults, a study from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research has found. And given the continuing increase in prevalence of obesity both in Australia...

Obesity accounts for around a quarter of breathlessness symptoms in Australian adults, a study from the...

Offering pregnant smokers a financial incentive to stop smoking cigarettes was found to be “highly effective”  a randomised controlled trial in the UK has found. In the study, published in the British Medical Journal, 944 women (mean age...

Offering pregnant smokers a financial incentive to stop smoking cigarettes was found to be “highly effective”  a randomised controlled...

There is no convincing evidence that electronic cigarettes assist patients to quit and vaping may lead non-smokers to take up tobacco smoking , the NHMRC has warned. The agency released its updated national advice on Thursday, warning that younger people...

There is no convincing evidence that electronic cigarettes assist patients to quit and vaping may lead non-smokers to take up...

Tuberculosis is a long way from top of the agenda for most Australian clinicians in 2022, which may explain why Professor Guy Marks spends much of his time in Vietnam. On Monday, he was honoured as an Officer of the Order...

Tuberculosis is a long way from top of the agenda for most Australian clinicians in 2022, which may explain why...

Stonemasons are still being exposed to the risk of silicosis because governments won’t commit to even a delayed ban on artificial stone imports, a respiratory diseases expert is warning. The message comes after the final report of the National Dust...

Stonemasons are still being exposed to the risk of silicosis because governments won’t commit to even a delayed ban on...

Concerns have been raised about the quality of spirometry in a major lung screening program for mine workers, with a review finding more than a tenth of testing reports are not...

Concerns have been raised about the quality of spirometry in a...

The tobacco industry is seemingly being allowed to promote by stealth ‘healthier’ and unregulated e-cigarettes to children and young people without meaningful restriction or penalty, a group of respiratory physicians in the UK has warned. Professor Stephen Fowler from...

The tobacco industry is seemingly being allowed to promote by stealth ‘healthier’ and unregulated e-cigarettes to children and young...

The Big Tobacco takeover of inhaler technology company Vectura requires a boycott but not at the expense of patients currently using inhalers based on the company’s input, the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand says. A statement issued on...

The Big Tobacco takeover of inhaler technology company Vectura requires a boycott but not at the expense of patients currently...

Updated recommendations on respiratory specialist referral and the need for in-flight oxygen are made in a new clinical statement on air travel for passengers with respiratory disease. Published in Thorax, the statement developed by the British Thoracic Society...

Updated recommendations on respiratory specialist referral and the need for in-flight oxygen are made in a new clinical statement...

New advice on the safe performance of pulmonary function testing has been developed to reflect the transition of SARS-CoV-2 from pandemic to endemic in Australia. A joint working party for Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) and COVID-19 convened by the Thoracic...

New advice on the safe performance of pulmonary function testing has been developed to reflect the transition of SARS-CoV-2 from...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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? ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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’...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,  ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...