Thorax Podcast

Live from the British Thoracic Society (BTS) Winter Meeting 2022

Thorax social media editor, Dr. Puja Mehta, caught up with several Respiratory consultants from across the UK at the British Thoracic Society (BTS) Winter Meeting 2022, and asked them the question, 'What makes the Winter BTS meeting special?'
Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.
If you enjoy the Thorax Podcast, please leave us a rating and a review on the Thorax Podcast page on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thorax-podcast/id343304910.

Respiratory research in the UK: investing for the next 10 years

In this episode, Thorax social media editor Dr. Puja Mehta speaks with Professor Ian Hall, Director of the Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre and the University of Nottingham about his paper "Respiratory Research in the UK: investing for the next 10 years". They discuss some of the biggest challenges facing respiratory research in the UK, and why respiratory diseases need more investment. Read the paper here:
https://thorax.bmj.com/content/77/9/851
Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.
If you enjoy the Thorax Podcast, please leave us a rating and a review on the Thorax Podcast page on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thorax-podcast/id343304910.

The Thorax Podcast is back! Meet the new Editors

Welcome back to the Thorax Podcast, home to the discussion of new research and hot topics in respiratory research and clinical practice. In this first episode, we introduce you to the three new Editors of the Thorax journal: Dr. Mark Griffiths and Dr. Jennifer Quint, both from Imperial College London, and Dr. Cecilia O'Kane, from Queen's University Belfast. They outline plans for the Thorax journal, including the social media strategy and engaging readers and trainees.
You'll also get to know a bit more about the two new social media editors of the journal, Dr. Puja Mehta, from University College London and Dr. Kate Diomede from Imperial College London, whose voices you'll get very familiar with over the coming months, as they are our two new podcast hosts.
Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.
If you enjoy the Thorax Podcast, please leave us a rating and a review on the Thorax Podcast page on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thorax-podcast/id343304910.

Better asthma control, half of the carbon footprint with climate-friendly inhalers

In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax BMJ, is joined by Professor Ashley Woodcock, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, The University of Manchester, UK, to discuss the paper "Effects of switching from a metered dose inhaler to a dry powder inhaler on climate emissions and asthma control: post-hoc analysis."
This paper was a secondary analysis of the Salford Lung Study in Asthma. In a real world study SLS asthma showed that a once daily combination treatment in a dry powder inhaler improved asthma control over one year, versus usual treatment. This secondary analysis looked at the impact on carbon footprint for those patients switching from a pressurised MDI to DPI treatment.

What are the risks from ’aerosol-generating procedures’ in the treatment of patients with COVID-19?

Do hospitalised COVID-19 patients receiving treatment with CPAP and HFNOT present a significant added risk of viral contamination to the surrounding environment used by healthcare workers?
And is there enough evidence to suggest or recommend levels of PPE that should be used for healthcare workers caring for patients on CPAP or HFNOT?
Two of the main questions this short podcast addresses. Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor Thorax BMJ, interviews Dr Chris Green, Consultant in Infectious Diseases & General (Internal) Medicine, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.
Read the two related papers:
SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination from hospitalised patients with COVID-19 receiving aerosol-generating procedures - https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/11/01/thoraxjnl-2021-218035
Coughs and sneezes spread diseases: but do ‘aerosol generating’ procedures? - https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/11/10/thoraxjnl-2021-218133

Cigarettes and COVID-19: clearing the smoke

In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax BMJ, talks to Dr Ash Clift Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford.
The evidence surrounding COVID-19 has been conflicting and inconsistent. This podcast discusses the findings of this observational and Mendelian randomisation study using the UK Biobank cohort. The author discusses the findings with regards to the potential causal effect of cigarette smoking on the severity of COVID-19 infection and what this means for both the public and clinicians.
Related article: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/thoraxjnl/early/2021/09/12/thoraxjnl-2021-217080

Do financial incentives improve key COPD outcomes?

In this podcast, we discuss the impact of Best Practice Tariffs (BPT) in improving outcomes for people with COPD admitted to hospital following an acute exacerbation. The key question was to understand if the combination of specialist review within 24 hours and a discharge care bundle incentivised by the English COPD BPT scheme was associated with improved mortality and readmission rates for those admitted with an acute exacerbation of COPD.
Thorax Multimedia Editor, Rachael Moses, talks to Philip Stone, from the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK.
Read the paper (https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/07/15/thoraxjnl-2021-216880) and subscribe to the Thorax Podcast on your favourite platform.

The BCG Vaccine Programme: Are we getting it right?

In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax BMJ, talks to Professor James Trauer, Epidemiological Modelling Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Tuberculosis is the world’s leading infectious disease killer with the BCG vaccine being the only approved vaccine for its control. The paper on hand was a systematic review of studies looking at the effect of BCG vaccination on TB disease, including sub-categories of TB disease. They discuss what makes this review different and the potential implications of the findings.
Read the related articles: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/05/18/thoraxjnl-2020-216794

Sleep Vibrations: Can a positional therapy device improve outcomes in obstructive sleep apnoea?

In this podcast Rachael Moses, MultiMedia Editor Thorax BMJ talks to Ms Laura Hidalgo Armas, OSI Araba Hospital University, Vitoria, Spain. They discuss the effectiveness of a new vibrational positional device located on the forehead on reducing the apnea-hypopnea index and total sleep time in the supine position for patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
Links to related papers: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/04/21/thoraxjnl-2020-216167

Smoking cessation at work: Do heated tobacco products work?

In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax, is joined by Dr Makiko Kanai, National Hospital Organisation Kyoto Medical Center, Japan, to discuss how a smoking cessation pathway was trialed in a Japanese workplace using heated tobacco products.
Listen to a related podcast on the SUR-VAPES Study (https://soundcloud.com/bmjpodcasts/the-sur-vapes-study?in=bmjpodcasts/sets/thorax)
Links to related papers:
https://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215900
https://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216253
https://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216743