The objective of this document was to standardise published cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) protocols for improved interpretation in clinical settings and multicentre research projects. This document: 1) summarises the protocols and procedures used in published studies focusing on incremental CPET in chronic lung conditions; 2) presents standard incremental protocols for CPET on a stationary cycle ergometer and a treadmill; and 3) provides patients' perspectives on CPET obtained through an online survey supported by the European Lung Foundation. We systematically reviewed published studies obtained from EMBASE, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library from inception to January 2017. Of 7914 identified studies, 595 studies with 26 523 subjects were included. The literature supports a test protocol with a resting phase lasting at least 3 min, a 3-min unloaded phase, and an 8- to 12-min incremental phase with work rate increased linearly at least every minute, followed by a recovery phase of at least 2–3 min. Patients responding to the survey (n=295) perceived CPET as highly beneficial for their diagnostic assessment and informed the Task Force consensus. Future research should focus on the individualised estimation of optimal work rate increments across different lung diseases, and the collection of robust normative data.

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Background: Disturbances of intestinal integrity, manifested by increased gastro-intestinal (GI) permeability, have been found in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients during physical activity, often associated with intermittent hypoxic periods. Evidence about extrapulmonary organ disturbances, especially of the GI tract, during hospitalised acute exacerbation of COPD (AE-COPD) with hypoxaemic respiratory failure (RF) is lacking. Objective: The aim was to assess changes in GI permeability in patients with AE-COPD and during recovery 4 weeks later. Methods: All patients admitted to our hospital with AE-COPD accompanied by hypoxaemia at admission (PaO₂ <8.7 kPa or O₂ saturation <93%) were screened between October 2013 and February 2014. Patients with a history of GI or renal disease, chronic heart failure, or use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the 48 h before the test were excluded. GI permeability was assessed by evaluating urinary excretion ratios of the orally ingested sugars lactulose/L-rhamnose (L/R ratio), sucrose/L-rhamnose (Su/R ratio) and sucralose/erythritol (S/E ratio). Results: Seventeen patients with severe to very severe COPD completed the study. L/R ratio (×10³) at admission of AE-COPD was significantly higher than in the recovery condition (40.9 [29.4–49.6] vs. 27.3 [19.5–47.7], p = 0.039), indicating increased small intestinal permeability. There were no significant differences in the individual sugar levels in urine nor in the 0- to 5-h urinary S/E and Su/R ratios between the 2 visits. Conclusion: This is the first study showing increased GI permeability during hospitalised AE-COPD accompanied by hypoxaemic RF. Therefore, GI integrity in COPD patients is an attractive target for future research and for the development of interventions to alleviate the consequences of AE-COPD.

Mild-to-moderate AEs do not affect dropout or response of PR, although severe AEs are associated with dropout. AEs should not lead to discontinuation of PR, as response is in general not affected.

Severity assessment is a crucial step in the initial management of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). While approximately half of patients are at low risk of death and can be safely treated as outpatients, around 20% are at increased risk. While CURB-65 (confusion, respiratory rate, blood pressure, urea) and pneumonia severity index (PSI) scores are equally useful as an adjunct to clinical judgment to identify patients at low risk, the so-called minor American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America criteria are predictive of patients in need of intensified treatment (i.e., mechanical ventilation and/or vasopressor treatment). Such patients represent medical emergencies. In elderly patients, CRB-65 (confusion, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age) is no longer predictive of low risk; instead, poor functional status is the best predictor of death. In addition to scores, assessment of oxygenation and unstable comorbidity, as well as lactate and biomarkers remain important to consider. The added value of combined clinical and biomarker risk stratification strategies should be evaluated in large prospective interventional trials.Survivors of hospitalized CAP have a considerable excess long-term mortality. Risk factors include age, male gender, and nursing home residency, as well as increased PSI and CURB-65 scores. Cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and neoplastic comorbidities are prominent causes of long-term mortality. Comorbidities are vulnerable to both the acute and chronic subclinical inflammatory challenge delivered by pulmonary infection and are thereby drivers of mortality. Biomarkers are promising in identifying patients at increased risk of long-term mortality. Future studies should develop consistent strategies of risk stratification and intervention to improve long-term outcomes of patients with CAP.

BackgroundSmoking increases the risk of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and is associated with the development of COPD. Until now, it is unclear whether CAP in COPD is due to smoking-related effects, or due to COPD pathophysiology itself.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between COPD and CAP by smoking status.MethodsIn total, 62,621 COPD and 191,654 control subjects, matched by year of birth, gender and primary care practice, were extracted from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (2005–2014). Incidence rates (IRs) were estimated by dividing the total number of CAP cases by the cumulative person-time at risk. Time-varying Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for CAP in COPD patients versus controls. HRs of CAP by smoking status were calculated by stratified analyses in COPD patients versus controls and within both subgroups with never smoking as reference.ResultsIRs of CAP in COPD patients (32.00/1,000 person-years) and controls (6.75/1,000 person-years) increased with age and female gender. The risk of CAP in COPD patients was higher than in controls (HR 4.51, 95% CI: 4.27–4.77). Current smoking COPD patients had comparable CAP risk (HR 0.92, 95% CI: 0.82–1.02) as never smoking COPD patients (reference), whereas current smoking controls had a higher risk (HR 1.23, 95% CI: 1.13–1.34) compared to never smoking controls.ConclusionCOPD patients have a fourfold increased risk to develop CAP, independent of smoking status. Identification of factors related with the increased risk of CAP in COPD is warranted, in order to improve the management of patients at risk.

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PurposeIt remains unclear whether eosinophilia is useful for in guiding inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The goal of this study is to evaluate the risk of acute exacerbations, COPD‐related hospitalisations/accident and emergency visits, and all‐cause mortality with various levels of eosinophil counts among COPD patients using ICS.MethodsA cohort study was conducted using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Patients were aged 40+ and had COPD (n = 32 693). Current users of ICS were stratified by relative and absolute eosinophil counts to determine the risk of outcomes with blood eosiniphilia using Cox regression analysis.ResultsAmong COPD patients, current use of ICS was not associated with a reduced risk of acute COPD exacerbations, COPD‐related hospitalisations/accident and emergency visits, and all‐cause mortality. Stratification of ICS use by absolute or relative eosinophil counts did not result in significant differences in risk of COPD exacerbations or hospitalisations/accident and emergency visits. However, all‐cause mortality was reduced by 12% to 24% among patients with eosinophilia.ConclusionsCOPD‐related acute exacerbations or hospitalisations/accident and emergency visits were not reduced with eosinophilia among users of ICS with COPD. However, all‐cause mortality was reduced by 12% to 24%. These findings are potentially important and require further evaluation in prospective studies.