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News & Events
Annual Community Lecture: You Are What You BreatheJoin us for our Annual Community Lecture entitled "You Are What You Breathe" with Professor Stephen Holgate.
News & Events
Researchers urge caution in how asthma test is usedResearchers are urging caution in the use of a widely accepted test for diagnosing asthma, after their study found it may not be accurate in some settings.
News & Events
My child is wheezing – what should I do?Almost 50 per cent of preschool children will experience at least one episode of wheeze, a whistling sound produced by the airways during breathing.
Research
Ventilatory response and stability of oxygen saturation during a hypoxic challenge in very preterm infantsPreterm infants have immature control of breathing and impaired pulmonary gas exchange. We hypothesized that infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) have a blunted ventilatory response and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) instability during a hypoxic challenge.
Research
Multi-ancestry genome-wide association analyses improve resolution of genes and pathways influencing lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease riskLung-function impairment underlies chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and predicts mortality. In the largest multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of lung function to date, comprising 580,869 participants, we identified 1,020 independent association signals implicating 559 genes supported by ≥2 criteria from a systematic variant-to-gene mapping framework. These genes were enriched in 29 pathways. Individual variants showed heterogeneity across ancestries, age and smoking groups, and collectively as a genetic risk score showed strong association with COPD across ancestry groups.
Research
Signal-correction errors in the EasyOne Pro LAB multiple-breath washout device significantly impact outcomes in children and adultsMultiple-breath washout (MBW) is an established technique to assess functional residual capacity (FRC) and ventilation inhomogeneity in the lung. Indirect calculation of nitrogen concentration requires accurate measurement of gas concentrations.
Research
Health service utilisation for acute respiratory infections in infants graduating from the neonatal intensive care unit: a population-based cohort studyDespite advances in neonatal intensive care, babies admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) suffer from adverse outcomes. We aim to describe the longer-term respiratory infectious morbidity of infants discharged from NICU using state-wide population-based linked data in Western Australia.
Research
Comparing home polysomnography with transcutaneous CO2 monitoring to laboratory polysomnography in children with neuromuscular disordersClinical utility of home polysomnography in children with neuromuscular disorders is limited by lack of evidence that sleep-disordered breathing can be reliably identified and inability to diagnose hypoventilation because carbon dioxide is not measured.
Research
Lung volumes, gas transfer and oscillometry after preterm birth: systematic review and meta-analysisSmall airway and lung parenchymal abnormalities frequently occur following preterm birth but are commonly missed by spirometry. Static lung volumes, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D LCO) and oscillometry provide a more precise characterisation of these conditions. We hypothesised that differences in these measures exist between individuals born preterm and at term and we aimed to systematically review the literature to identify and quantify these differences in lung function.
Research
Determinants of lung function development from birth to age 5 years: an interrupted time series analysis of a South African birth cohortEarly life is a key period that determines long-term health. Lung development in childhood predicts lung function attained in adulthood and morbidity and mortality across the life course. We aimed to assess the effect of early-life lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and associated risk factors on lung development from birth to school age in a South African birth cohort.