New Respiratory Medicine Recommendations Released

Jun 26, 2017 - News

The Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) releases six things physicians and patients should question in respiratory medicine.

New Respiratory Medicine Recommendations Released

Jun 26, 2017 - News

The Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) releases six things physicians and patients should question in respiratory medicine.

Under the leadership of the Canadian Thoracic Society, we are excited to announce the release of 6 new recommendations of tests, treatments or procedures that are overused in respiratory medicine:

  • Don’t initiate long-term maintenance inhalers in stable patients with suspected COPD if they have not had confirmation of post-bronchodilator airflow obstruction with spirometry.
  • Don’t perform CT screening for lung cancer among patients at low risk for lung cancer.
  • Don’t perform chest computed tomography (CT angiography) or ventilation-perfusion scanning to evaluate for possible pulmonary embolism in patients with a low clinical probability and negative results of a highly sensitive D-dimer assay.
  • Don’t treat adult cough with antibiotics even if it lasts more than 1 week, unless bacterial pneumonia is suspected (mean viral cough duration is 18 days).
  • Don’t initiate medications for asthma (e.g., inhalers, leukotriene receptor antagonists, or other) in patients ≥ 6 years old who have not had confirmation of reversible airflow limitation with spirometry, and in its absence, a positive methacholine or exercise challenge test, or sufficient peak expiratory flow variability.
  • Don’t use antibiotics for acute asthma exacerbations without clear signs of bacterial infection.

See Six Things Physicians and Patients Should Question in Respiratory Medicine to view the full list, including a rationale and references for each recommendation.