Chemical Actions and Uses: News and Research on Respiratory System Agents

Vaping additives weaken key lung film at higher concentrations, lab tests suggest

A new study from the University of Kansas shows that additives common in commercially available vaping devices, such as vitamin E and CBD, soften a vital lung surfactant at high enough concentrations, at least in a simplified ...

UK study finds no added benefit of surfactant treatment for babies with severe bronchiolitis

A major UK-led clinical trial has found that a treatment commonly used to help premature babies breathe offers no benefit for infants on life support with severe bronchiolitis—a seasonal viral illness that hospitalizes thousands ...

Healthier homes, fewer inhalers: Large-scale study links home retrofits to better health for children

Better insulation and ventilation in social housing mean thousands of children no longer need medication for asthma or allergies. This is the conclusion of a large-scale study involving 2 million people, monitored for 10 ...

Neutron scattering sheds light on lung injuries linked to vaping

Researchers from the University of Windsor are using neutrons at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory to better understand symptoms associated with e-cigarette/vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI).

Appropriate diagnosis of COPD can have significant public health impact

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable condition marked by breathlessness, chronic sputum production and cough, claiming three million lives globally each year—particularly in low-resource ...

Why deep sighs are actually good for us

The surface of the lungs is covered with a fluid that increases their deformability. This fluid has the greatest effect when you take deep breaths from time to time, as researchers at ETH Zurich have discovered using sophisticated ...

Mucoactive bronchiectasis treatments show no benefit in preventing lung flare-ups

Queen's University Belfast-led research reports on a multicenter trial finding no significant reduction in pulmonary exacerbations with hypertonic saline or carbocisteine over 52 weeks among adults with non–cystic fibrosis ...

Study finds no added benefit of surfactant treatment for babies with severe bronchiolitis

A major UK-led clinical trial has found that a treatment commonly used to help premature babies breathe offers no benefit for infants on life support with severe bronchiolitis—a seasonal viral illness that hospitalizes thousands ...

A step toward lifesaving therapy for premature infants in respiratory distress

Using an inhaler alone may not be enough to manage asthma

Inhalers have been key to asthma management since the 1950s. The most common, salbutamol, comes in a familiar blue-colored inhaler (or "puffer").