30-Second Takeaway
- Conservative oxygen targets appear as safe as liberal targets for most ventilated ICU adults, with possible benefit in select subgroups.
- Second- and third-generation BCR-ABL TKIs differ in PAH risk; dasatinib, bosutinib, and ponatinib require vigilant pulmonary monitoring.
- Chronic ozone and wildfire PM2.5 exposures worsen respiratory morbidity, especially in environmentally and socioeconomically vulnerable populations.
- Automated polysomnography event detection and continuous ventilator waveform analytics may reshape sleep and ICU respiratory monitoring.
- Accessible tools—CA125 levels and HRCT-based algorithms—can refine prognosis in connective tissue disease–associated ILD, informing follow-up and treatment intensity.
Week ending February 14, 2026
Pulmonary practice updates: oxygen targets, environmental risks, sleep phenotyping, and ILD prognostication
Conservative oxygen targets are generally as safe as liberal targets in ventilated ICU adults
Across nine RCTs including 20,447 mechanically ventilated adults, conservative and liberal oxygen targets had similar 90-day mortality and ICU length of stay. Secondary outcomes, including organ support–free days and adverse events, were also comparable between strategies. In sepsis, conservative oxygen was associated with more vasopressor-free days, suggesting potential hemodynamic advantages. Post–cardiac arrest patients showed a possible survival benefit with conservative oxygen, though estimates were borderline and imprecise.
Dasatinib markedly increases PAH risk versus imatinib; nilotinib and asciminib appear safer
Using a nationwide French claims database, this trial-emulation compared second- and third-generation BCR-ABL TKIs with imatinib for incident PAH risk. Dasatinib was linked to about a 9-fold higher PAH risk versus imatinib, with markedly higher incidence rates. Bosutinib and ponatinib also showed elevated PAH hazard ratios, mainly among patients previously exposed to dasatinib. Nilotinib and asciminib were not associated with increased PAH risk compared with imatinib, suggesting a more favorable pulmonary profile.
Long-term ozone exposure is linked to worse symptoms, COPD, and quality of life in Chinese adults
This nationwide cross-sectional analysis from the China Pulmonary Health study related annual mean daily maximum 8-hour ozone to respiratory outcomes and quality of life. Each 10 µg/m³ ozone increase was associated with higher odds of CAT ≥10, mMRC ≥1, and spirometry-defined COPD. Higher ozone was also linked to modest declines in physical health–related quality of life scores. Women and younger adults appeared particularly vulnerable to ozone-related respiratory morbidity.
ATS outlines a working definition of pre-COPD and trial priorities for early disease modification
This ATS workshop proposed an operational definition of "pre-COPD" to enable interventional trials before fixed airflow obstruction develops. Target populations include individuals with symptoms, imaging abnormalities, or physiologic impairment without classic FEV1/FVC obstruction. Recommended trial endpoints emphasize lung function decline, imaging progression, symptoms, and exacerbations rather than mortality in early disease. The report details design considerations such as enrichment strategies, follow-up duration, and intervention types targeting early pathobiology.
References
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Additional Reads
Optional additional studies from this edition.