Key Updates from Pulmonary Journals

Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency Pulmonary/Allergy

Eosinophil Count Determines Steroids or Not for Asthma?
January 13, 2026January 9, 2026

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In this trial, randomizing adult patients admitted for asthma exacerbation to shorter duration of steroids (3 days or 5 days) based on their peripheral eosinophil counts was non-inferior to the control group (5 days of steroids).
Source
Blood eosinophil-guided systemic corticosteroid duration in adults hospitalised for asthma exacerbation: a randomised, controlled, open-label, non-inferiority trial. Thorax. 2025 Dec 3:thorax-2025-223961. doi: 10.1136/thorax-2025-223961. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41339088.

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Critical Care Emergency Medicine OB/GYN Pulmonary/Allergy

How to Treat Asthma in Pregnancy
November 11, 2025November 20, 2025

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Most asthma therapies for daily control and acute exacerbations are safe to use in pregnancy. Keeping asthma under control while pregnant reduces maternal and fetal risks.

Source
Asthma and Pregnancy: A Narrative Review. Chest. 2025 Sep 26:S0012-3692(25)05382-6. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2025.08.043. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41015198.

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Critical Care Emergency Medicine Pharmacy/Pharmacology Pulmonary/Allergy

Epinephrine 0.3mg or 0.5mg for Anaphylaxis?
November 7, 2025November 8, 2025

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For anaphylaxis in adults ≥50kg, 0.5mg vs. 0.3mg IM epinephrine is strongly associated with a reduction in escalation of care (repeat epi, epi drip, or intubation).

Source
Retrospective comparison between 0.3 mg and 0.5 mg dosing of intramuscular epinephrine for anaphylaxis. Am J Emerg Med. 2025 Oct 10;99:270-275. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2025.10.020. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41106150.

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Critical Care Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency Pulmonary/Allergy

ABG or VBG to Rule Out Hypercarbia?
October 17, 2025October 23, 2025

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This article summarizes data supporting use of venous blood gas (VBG) screening for hypercarbic respiratory failure rather than an arterial blood gas (ABG).

Source
Things We Do for No Reason™: Arterial blood gas testing to screen for hypercarbic respiratory failure. J Hosp Med. 2025 Sep;20(9):1002-1004. doi: 10.1002/jhm.70039. Epub 2025 Apr 4. PMID: 40183604; PMCID: PMC12406756.

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Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency Pulmonary/Allergy

Continuous Albuterol Dosing – Less Is More?
October 16, 2025October 23, 2025

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Continuous albuterol at 10 mg/h in children hospitalized with severe asthma led to similar clinical outcomes compared to 15 mg/h, but with a shorter duration of therapy and lower overall medication exposure.

Source
Estimating the Effects of Continuous Albuterol Dosage on Clinical Outcomes for Pediatric Critical Asthma Exacerbation: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2025 Sep;60(9):e71293. doi: 10.1002/ppul.71293. PMID: 40931966; PMCID: PMC12424099.

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Critical Care Emergency Medicine Infectious Disease Pediatric Emergency Pulmonary/Allergy

New ATS Guidelines for Community-Acquired Pneumonia
September 22, 2025September 27, 2025

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Strap in for a longer-than-normal Spoon Feed — to stay updated on the latest ATS guidelines for diagnosing and treating CAP.

Source
Diagnosis and Management of Community-acquired Pneumonia. An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2025 Jul 18. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202507-1692ST. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40679934.

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Infectious Disease Pediatric Emergency Pediatrics Pulmonary/Allergy

Is that Penicillin Allergy Legit?
August 13, 2025August 9, 2025

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The PEN-FAST clinical decision rule, a penicillin allergy decision rule developed for adults, can help identify pediatrics patients who are at low risk for true allergy. Patients with a score less than 3 may be suitable for oral drug challenge.

Source
PEN-FAST in pediatrics: a reliable tool for penicillin allergy assessment? Eur J Pediatr. 2025 Jul 2;184(7):463. doi: 10.1007/s00431-025-06305-3. PMID: 40601050

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Internal Medicine Pulmonary/Allergy

Pleural Fluid Analysis – Maximizing Diagnostic Yield
August 8, 2025August 4, 2025

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This CHEST review summarizes common considerations and pitfalls in pleural fluid analysis.

Source
Pleural Fluid Analysis: Maximizing Diagnostic Yield in the Pleural Effusion Evaluation. Chest. 2025 Jun 14:S0012-3692(25)00694-4. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2025.06.001. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40523559

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Pediatrics Pulmonary/Allergy

Smartphone Video Diagnoses Pediatric Sleep Apnea?
August 4, 2025August 2, 2025

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A scoring system used by clinicians to predict clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can reliably distinguish between non-clinically significant OSA and clinically significant OSA based on parent videos of their child’s sleep.

Source
Evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of smartphone video clips against polysomnography for paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea. Arch Dis Child. 2025 Jun 13:archdischild-2024-327775. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2024-327775. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40514188

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Infectious Disease POCUS Pulmonary/Allergy

More is Better with Bronchiolitis Lung Ultrasound
August 4, 2025August 3, 2025

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When using lung ultrasound (LUS) to predict decompensation of infants with bronchiolitis, a more comprehensive approach with additional views was superior.

Source
Extended vs. concise lung ultrasound scores to predict the need for respiratory support in bronchiolitis: a prospective observational study. Eur J Pediatr. 2025 May 23;184(6):357. doi: 10.1007/s00431-025-06189-3. PMID: 40410579

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