Objectives of this European Respiratory Society task force were to summarise current studies, to develop strategies for future research and to increase availability and awareness of exercise training for pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients.An evidence-based approach with clinical expertise of the task force members, based on both literature search and face-to-face meetings was conducted. The statement summarises current knowledge and open questions regarding clinical effects of exercise training in PH, training modalities, implementation strategies and pathophysiological mechanisms.In studies (784 PH patients in total, including six randomised controlled trials, three controlled trials, 10 prospective cohort studies and four meta-analyses), exercise training has been shown to improve exercise capacity, muscular function, quality of life and possibly right ventricular function and pulmonary haemodynamics. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to confirm these data, to investigate the impact on risk profiles and to identify the most advantageous training methodology and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.As exercise training appears to be effective, cost-efficient and safe, but is scarcely reimbursed, support from healthcare institutions, commissioners of healthcare and research funding institutions is greatly needed. There is a strong need to establish specialised rehabilitation programmes for PH patients to enhance patient access to this treatment intervention.

NMES is a feasible and effective treatment to prevent quadriceps muscle strength derangement during severe exacerbations of COPD and may be used to compliment early post-exacerbation pulmonary rehabilitation.

Evidence before this study: Acute appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency in children. Its diagnosis remains challenging and children presenting with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain may be admitted for clinical observation or undergo normal appendicectomy (removal of a histologically normal appendix). A search for external validation studies of risk prediction models for acute appendicitis in children was performed on MEDLINE and Web of Science on 12 January 2017 using the search terms ["appendicitis" OR "appendectomy" OR "appendicectomy"] AND ["score" OR "model" OR "nomogram" OR "scoring"]. Studies validating prediction models aimed at differentiating acute appendicitis from all other causes of RIF pain were included. No date restrictions were applied. Validation studies were most commonly performed for the Alvarado, Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score (AIRS), and Paediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) models. Most validation studies were based on retrospective, single centre, or small cohorts, and findings regarding model performance were inconsistent. There was no high quality evidence to guide selection of the optimum model and threshold cutoff for identification of low-risk children in the UK and Ireland. Added value of this study: Most children admitted to hospital with RIF pain do not undergo surgery. When children do undergo appendicectomy, removal of a normal appendix (normal appendicectomy) is common, occurring in around 1 in 6 children. The Shera score is able to identify a large low-risk group of children who present with acute RIF pain but do not have acute appendicitis (specificity 44%). This low-risk group has an overall 1 in 30 risk of acute appendicitis and a 1 in 270 risk of perforated appendicitis. The Shera score is unable to achieve a sufficiently high positive predictive value to select a high-risk group who should proceed directly to surgery. Current diagnostic performance of ultrasound is also too poor to select children for surgery. Implications of all the available evidence: Routine pre-operative risk scoring could inform shared decision making by doctors, children, and parents by supporting safe selection of lowrisk patients for ambulatory management, reducing unnecessary admissions and normal appendicectomy. Hospitals should ensure seven-day-a-week availability of ultrasound for medium and high-risk patients. Ultrasound should be performed by operators trained to assess for acute appendicitis in children. For children in whom diagnostic uncertainty remains following ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or low-dose computed tomography (CT) are second-line investigations.

Socioeconomic factors have been shown to have an adverse impact on survival in some respiratory diseases. Studies from the USA and China have suggested worse survival in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension in low socioeconomic groups. We looked at the effect of deprivation on the outcomes in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary hypertension (CTDPH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) in a retrospective observational study.Data were obtained from 232 patients with CTDPH and 263 with CTEPH who were under the care of the Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit, Glasgow, UK. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to assess for a relationship between deprivation and survival.We found no difference in survival across deprivation quintiles in the CTDPH (p=0.26) or CTEPH cohorts (p=0.18). We constructed multivariate models using enrolment time, age, sex and body mass index, with no significant change in findings. There was no difference between expected and observed population distribution of CTDPH (p=0.98) and CTEPH (p=0.36). Whilst there was no difference in presenting functional class in the CTDPH group, the CTEPH patients in more deprived quintiles presented in a worse functional class (p=0.032). There was no difference between quintiles of CTEPH patients who had distal or proximal disease (p=0.75), or who underwent surgery (p=0.5).Increased social deprivation is not associated with worse survival in patients with CTDPH and CTEPH managed in the Scottish National Health Service. Whilst there is no evidence of referral barriers in CTDPH, this may not be the case in CTEPH, as lower deprivation was associated with worse functional class at presentation.

ObjectivesTo assess for increase in pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in hospitalised patients with COVID-19, in both critical care and ward environments.SettingWe reviewed all CT pulmonary angiograms (CTPA) performed in Scotland between 23 March 2020 and 31 May 2020 and identified those with COVID-19 using either classical radiological appearances or positive COVID-19 PCR swab.ParticipantsAll hospitalised patients in Scotland with COVID-19 between 23 March 2020 and 31 May 2020 who underwent a CTPA.Primary outcome measureTo assess if the rate of PTE was increased in those with COVID-19 compared with previously published figures of hospitalised patients.Secondary outcome measuresTo assess the effect of right heart strain or requirement for critical care on mortality.Results3401 CTPAs were reviewed. 192 were positive for PTE in patients with evidence of COVID-19 either real-time PCR swab positive for SARS-CoV-2 (n=104) or having radiological changes consistent with COVID-19 (n=88). The total number of hospital admissions in Scotland between 23rd March 2020 and 31st May 2020 with COVID-19 was 5195. The incidence of PTE during this time was 3.7% in all patients admitted to all hospitals in Scotland with COVID-19 during this period. 475 hospitalised patients were managed in critical care (both level 2 and level 3 care), in whom the incidence of PTE was 6% (n=29). 4720 patients did not require admission to critical care, in whom the incidence of PTE was 3.5% (n=163). There was increased risk of death with right heart strain (25/52 vs 128/140 (p<0.01)) and in critical care (15/29 vs 146/163 (p<0.01)).ConclusionsWe have demonstrated an increased risk of PTE in critical care and ward-based environments. Further studies are required to establish effective prophylactic anticoagulation in this group.

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