Radiology Rounds – 5/3/22

This week on #RadiologyRounds we continue our series on COPD. Make sure to listen to all our episodes made in collaboration with the ATS Clinical Problems Assembly.

The CT shows moderate to severe centrilobular emphysema. These different patterns of emphysematous changes on CT can be related to the underlying driver of the disease and to symptom and disease severity.

In terms of follow-up, would you test this patient for alpha 1 anti-trypsin deficiency?

Current GOLD guidelines recommend that everyone with COPD, regardless of age or ethnicity should be tested for alpha 1 anti-trypsin deficiency.

15. COPD Exacerbations

Today we have episode two in our Pulm PEEPs and ATS Clinical Problems Assembly collaborative series on COPD. We are joined by Dr. Brad Drummond and Dr. Allison Lambert to discuss COPD exacerbations. Make sure to check out episode 1 in the series and stay tuned for more great content.

Meet Our Guests

Brad Drummond is an Associate Professor of Medicine at UNC School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Division Chief of Outpatient Services, the Co-Medical Director of the Pulmonary Specialty Clinics at UNC, and the Director of the Obstructive Lung Diseases Clinical and Translational Research Center. He is also the incoming Assembly Chair for the ATS CP Assembly.

Allison Lambert is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician at Providence Medical Group, where she is also the Director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program and co-leads the Therapeutic Development Network. Her expertise spans CF, non-CF bronchiectasis as well as COPD. Allison is also a committee member in the ATS Clinical Problems Assembly

Key Learning Points

References

  1. Wedzicha JA, Miravitlles M, Hurst JR, et al. Management of COPD exacerbations: a European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society guideline. European Respiratory Journal. 2017;49(3). doi:10.1183/13993003.00791-2016
  2. Lindenauer PK, Dharmarajan K, Qin L, Lin Z, Gershon AS, Krumholz HM. Risk Trajectories of Readmission and Death in the First Year after Hospitalization for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018;197(8):1009-1017. doi:10.1164/rccm.201709-1852OC
  3. Leuppi JD, Schuetz P, Bingisser R, et al. Short-term vs Conventional Glucocorticoid Therapy in Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: The REDUCE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2013;309(21):2223-2231. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.5023
  4. Johns Hopkins University. Roflumilast or Azithromycin to Prevent COPD Exacerbations (RELIANCE). clinicaltrials.gov; 2022. Accessed April 24, 2022. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04069312
  5. Barnes PJ. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2000;343(4):269-280. doi:10.1056/NEJM200007273430407
  6. Celli BR, Wedzicha JA. Update on Clinical Aspects of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2019;381(13):1257-1266. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1900500
  7. Singh D, Agusti A, Anzueto A, et al. Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: the GOLD science committee report 2019. Eur Respir J. 2019;53(5):1900164. doi:10.1183/13993003.00164-2019

13. COPD Classification and Practical Management Strategies

The Pulm PEEPs are extremely excited today to be launching our series on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in partnership with the ATS Clinical Problems Assembly. We are joined by Dr. Bob Wise and Dr. Wassim Labaki to discuss the classification and initial workup of COPD, and management strategies from inhalers to pulmonary rehabilitation. Make sure to listen today and in the coming weeks for the rest of our COPD discussion.

Meet Our Guests

Dr. Bob Wise is a Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and has served as the Medical Director of the Pulmonary Function Lab at the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center. Bob is a leader in the care of patients with obstructive lung disease and his research focus has been conducting multi-center clinical trials in airway disease and is also a master physiologist. Bob has been involved in various capacities with ATS throughout his tenure as well and received the ATS CP Assembly Sreedhar Nair Lifetime Achievement Award in COPD.

Dr. Wassim Labaki is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine as well as the Medical Director of the Lung Volume Reduction Surgery Program at the University of Michigan. Wassim was the recipient of the Early Career Investigator Award in COPD from ATS in 2019 and currently is on the Program Committee of the ATS Clinical Problems Assembly.

Key Learning Points

Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale

mMRC Grade 0 = Only breathless with strenuous exercise

mMRC Grade 1 = Short of breath when hurrying on level ground, or walking up a slight hill

mMRC Grade 2 = Walking slower than people of the same age due to dyspnea, or stopping due to dyspnea when walking at my own pace on level ground

mMRC Grade 3 = Stopping for breath after walking 100 meters / a few minutes on level ground

mMRC Grade 4 = Too breathless to leave the house or breathless with getting dressed / undressed

Image source: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease https://goldcopd.org/

References and links for further reading

  1. Clinicians. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease – GOLD. Accessed April 11, 2022. https://goldcopd.org/clinicians/
  2. Miami CF 3300 P de LB. COPD Foundation | Take Action Today. Breathe Better Tomorrow. Accessed April 11, 2022. https://www.copdfoundation.org
  3. Barnes PJ. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2000;343(4):269-280. doi:10.1056/NEJM200007273430407
  4. Celli BR, Wedzicha JA. Update on Clinical Aspects of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2019;381(13):1257-1266. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1900500
  5. Criner GJ, Martinez FJ, Aaron S, et al. Current Controversies in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. A Report from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Scientific Committee. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2019;16(1):29-39. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.201808-557PS
  6. Martinez FJ, Agusti A, Celli BR, et al. Treatment Trials in Young Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Pre-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients: Time to Move Forward. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022;205(3):275-287. doi:10.1164/rccm.202107-1663SO
  7. Rodriguez-Roisin R, Rabe KF, Vestbo J, Vogelmeier C, Agustí A, all previous and current members of the Science Committee and the Board of Directors of GOLD (goldcopd.org/committees/). Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 20th Anniversary: a brief history of time. Eur Respir J. 2017;50(1):1700671. doi:10.1183/13993003.00671-2017
  8. Singh D, Agusti A, Anzueto A, et al. Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: the GOLD science committee report 2019. Eur Respir J. 2019;53(5):1900164. doi:10.1183/13993003.00164-2019