Christine Faye Mcdonald

Austin Health · Institute for Breathing and Sleep (IBAS)

The “contingent valuation” method is used to quantify the value of services not available in traditional markets, by assessing the monetary value an individual ascribes to the benefit provided by an intervention. The aim of this study was to determine preferences for home or center-based pulmonary rehabilitation for participants with chronic obstru...

Dyspnoea is a cardinal symptom of fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD), with a lack of proven effective therapies. With emerging evidence of the role of facial and nasal airflow for relieving breathlessness, this pilot study was conducted to examine the feasibility of conducting a clinical trial of a handheld fan (HHF) for dyspnoea management i...

Background Advanced non-malignant respiratory diseases are associated with significant patient morbidity, yet access to palliative care occurs late, if at all. Aim To examine referral criteria for palliative care among patients with advanced non-malignant respiratory disease, with a view to developing a standardised set of referral criteria. Desi...

Background Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective treatment for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but its benefits are poorly maintained. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of COPD exacerbations in the year following pulmonary rehabilitation on outcomes at 12 months. Methods This was a secondary analysis fro...

Background: Physical activity levels are low in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and there is limited knowledge about how pulmonary rehabilitation transforms movement behaviors. This study analyzed data from a pulmonary rehabilitation trial and identified determinants of movement behaviors. Methods: Objectively assessed time in...

Introduction Interstitial lung diseases are characterised by scarring of lung tissue that leads to reduced transfer of oxygen into the blood, decreased exercise capacity and premature death. Ambulatory oxygen therapy may be used to treat exertional oxyhaemoglobin desaturation, but there is little evidence to support its efficacy and there is wide v...

Background The optimal method to collect accurate healthcare utilisation data in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not well established. The aim of this study was to determine feasibility and compare self-report and administrative data sources to capture health care resource use in people with COPD for 12 months following...

In addition to facilitating healthcare delivery planning, reliable information about prognosis is essential for treatment decisions in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This review aimed to evaluate the prognosis of patients with IPF without anti-fibrotic therapy. We included all cohort studies and the placebo arms of randomised co...

Objectives Clinical practice guidelines recommend that people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should be encouraged to increase their physical activity levels. However, it is not clear how these guidelines are applied in clinical practice. This study aimed to understand the perspectives of respiratory healthcare professionals on th...

The TSANZ develops position statements where insufficient data exist to write formal clinical guidelines. In 2018, the TSANZ addressed the question of potential benefits and health impacts of electronic cigarettes (EC). The working party included groups focused on health impacts, smoking cessation, youth issues and priority populations. The 2018 re...

Objectives The aims of this study were to determine, in Australian pulmonary rehabilitation programs for people with COPD: (1) whether oxygen saturation (SpO2) was monitored during exercise testing; (2) whether supplemental oxygen was available during exercise testing and/or training; (3) whether oxygen was prescribed during exercise training; and...

Background Despite a lack of evidence, ambulatory oxygen therapy is frequently prescribed for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and exertional desaturation. Patients often prefer portable oxygen concentrators to oxygen cylinders. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of conducting a clinical trial of ambulatory oxygen delivered vi...

Introduction: People with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience exercise intolerance, dyspnoea and poor quality of life. However, the role of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in this group is unclear. Objectives: This randomised controlled trial aimed to explore the effects of home-based PR in people with mild COPD. Methods:...

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive chronic condition. Improvements in therapies have resulted in better patient outcomes. The use of technology such as telemonitoring as an additional intervention is aimed at enhancing care and reducing unnecessary acute hospital service use. The influence of verbal communicati...

Introduction Adult spirometry following community-acquired childhood pneumonia has variably been reported as showing obstructive or non-obstructive deficits. We analysed associations between doctor-diagnosed childhood pneumonia/pleurisy and more comprehensive lung function in a middle-aged general population cohort born in 1961. Methods Data were...

Background: Epidemic thunderstorm asthma (ETSA) severely affected Melbourne, Australia in November 2016. There is scant literature on the natural history of individuals affected by ETSA. Objective: A multicentre 12-month prospective observational study was conducted assessing symptomatology and behaviors of ETSA-affected individuals. Methods:...

Context: Chronic breathlessness is a clinical syndrome that results in significant distress and disability. Morphine can reduce chronic breathlessness when the contributing aetiologies are optimally treated. Objective: Does oxycodone reduce chronic breathlessness compared with placebo? Methods: A multi-site, randomised, placebo-controlled, dou...

In ILD, adherence to the training sessions in pulmonary rehabilitation predicts progression of exercise training loads; declining lung function is an independent predictor of failure to progress training loads http://bit.ly/2Z4x9Nw.

Introduction Morphine may decrease the intensity of chronic breathlessness but data from a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) are lacking. This first, large, parallel-group trial aimed to test the efficacy and safety of regular, low-dose, sustained-release (SR) morphine compared with placebo for chronic breathlessness. Methods Multisite (14 i...

Background Lung cancer is associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and high symptom burden. This trial aimed to assess the efficacy of home-based rehabilitation versus usual care in inoperable lung cancer. Methods A parallel-group, assessor-blinded, allocation-concealed, randomised controlled trial. Eligible participants were al...

Background and objective: This study aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of home and centre-based pulmonary rehabilitation for adults with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Prospective economic analyses were undertaken from a health system perspective alongside a randomized controlled equivalence...

Domiciliary oxygen therapy is often prescribed for patients with hypoxaemia due to advanced lung disease, most commonly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) trials conducted in patients with COPD in the 1980s remain the basis for clinical decisions and guideline recommenda...

Background Optimal management of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reduces patient morbidity and healthcare system burden. COPD guidelines, including the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and the COPD‐X Plan, provide evidence‐based recommendations; but adherence in hospital practice is variabl...

Abnormal sleep duration is associated with poor health. Upwards of 50% of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) report poor sleep quality. The effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on self-reported sleep quality is variable. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on objectively measured sleep qual...

Non-invasive ventilation settings determined during wakefulness may produce patient-ventilator asynchrony during sleep, causing sleep disruption and limiting tolerance. This study investigated whether non-invasive ventilation titrated with polysomnography is associated with less patient-ventilator asynchrony and sleep disruption than therapy titrat...

Almost half the patients referred to pulmonary rehabilitation with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) desaturate during exercise. Although oxygen supplementation may ameliorate oxygen desaturation, the effects on outcomes of exercise training have not been rigorously evaluated. The study aimed to determine whether supplemental oxygen duri...

Purpose: To compare levels of physical activity during center and home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: Forty-five consecutive participants (23 male, n = 20, in the home-based group) with mean age of 68 ± 8 yr and forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration (FEV1) 5...

Objective Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) during 15 h/day or more prolongs survival in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe hypoxemia. No randomized controlled trial has evaluated the net effects (benefits or harms) from LTOT 24 h/day compared with 15 h/day or the effect in conditions other than COPD. We describe a...

Background: Home oxygen therapy is commonly prescribed for patients who remain hypoxemic at hospital discharge, although evidence supporting this practice is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate oxygen prescription and follow-up for patients who were prescribed post-discharge short-term oxygen therapy (STOT) and to assess their long-term outcome....

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are major lung diseases affecting millions worldwide. Both diseases have links to cigarette smoking and exert a considerable societal burden. People suffering from COPD are at higher risk of developing lung cancer than those without, and are more susceptible to poor outcomes after diagnos...

Background: Exertional desaturation is an important predictor of mortality in patients with interstitial lung disease. We evaluated the prevalence of exertional desaturation in subjects with interstitial lung disease and determined its relationship with the prescription of ambulatory oxygen therapy. Methods: Our retrospective analysis examined p...

Objectives: To examine the predictive validity, minimal important difference (MID) and responsiveness of the PRAISE tool. Design: Retrospective data analysis from HomeBase trial of home vs centre-based pulmonary rehabilitation. Setting: Tertiary health service. Participants: One hundred and sixty-six participants with COPD (100 men) with mean age 6...

Background: The aim of this work was to investigate the short- and long-term test-retest reliability of the 6-min walk distance (6MWD), peak heart rate, and nadir oxygen desaturation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Methods: A reliability study of 70 adults with IPF was undertaken within out-patient pulmonary rehabilitation programs at 2...

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine whether telerehabilitation in people with chronic respiratory disease has beneficial effects on exercise capacity, breathlessness and health-related quality of life when compared to traditional, centre-based pulmonary rehabilitation or no rehabilita...

Background: A multidisciplinary collaboration investigated the world's largest, most catastrophic epidemic thunderstorm asthma event that took place in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov 21, 2016, to inform mechanisms and preventive strategies. Methods: Meteorological and airborne pollen data, satellite-derived vegetation index, ambulance callouts, emerg...

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective therapeutic intervention for people with chronic respiratory disease. However, fewer than 5% of eligible individuals receive pulmonary rehabilitation on an annual basis, largely due to limited availability of services and difficulties associated with travel and transport. The Rehabilitation Exer...

Exercise-induced oxygen desaturation (EID) is prevalent in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This article reports a sub-analysis from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in people with COPD and EID (COPD/EID). The primary aim, in people with COPD/ EID, was to determine the repeatability of the distance and time walked in the...

This study aimed to document the perspective of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who underwent home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (HBPR) in a clinical trial. In this qualitative study, open-ended questions explored participants’ views regarding HBPR. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were analysed using a thematic analy...

Purpose: To determine whether people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have characteristics that predict a clinically meaningful response to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) that includes an education component compared with exercise training alone. Methods: Participants were classified as responders or nonresponders to 2 models of...

Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has potential origins in childhood but an association between childhood measles and post-bronchodilator (BD) airflow obstruction (AO) has not yet been shown. We investigated whether childhood measles contributed to post-BD AO through interactions with asthma and/or smoking in a...

Introduction: Evaluating adherence to home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) could be challenging due to lack of direct supervision and the complex nature of the rehabilitation model. To measure adherence to home-based PR in the HomeBase trial, participants were encouraged to work towards a goal of at least 30 minutes of whole-body exercise on m...

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms and chronic airflow limitation, and is associated with exacerbations and comorbidities. Advances in the management of COPD are updated quarterly in the national COPD guidelines, the COPD-X plan, published by Lung Foundation Australia in c...

Background Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers, and is a leading cause of cancer mortality world-wide. Due to lack of early specific symptoms, the majority of patients present with advanced, inoperable disease and five-year relative survival across all stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is 14%. People with lung cance...

Rationale: Domiciliary oxygen therapy (DOT) is commonly prescribed for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and hypoxaemia, although evidence supporting benefit is limited. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore perspectives of respiratory physicians about DOT in patients with ILD. Methods: A qualitative study was undertaken...

Background and objective: Ambulatory oxygen therapy is often provided to patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Lightweight portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) provide an alternative to traditional portable systems such as compressed oxygen cylinders; however, their efficacy in patients with ILD has not been assessed. This study aimed to...

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Prognosis). The objectives are as follows: Primary objective: To assess overall prognosis for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in terms of mortality and survival outcomes without therapy or without effective therapies Secondary objectives: To assess the overall prognosis for people with IPF f...

Rationale: Domiciliary oxygen therapy is commonly prescribed for patients with interstitial lung disease and hypoxemia, either at rest or during exertion, with the aim of improving symptoms and functional status. Objectives: This study aimed to explore perspectives of adults with interstitial lung disease about domiciliary oxygen therapy, compar...

Background Uncertainty exists regarding the clinical relevance of exercise training across the range of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Objective To establish the impact of exercise training in patients with ILDs of differing aetiology and severity. Methods 142 participants with ILD (61 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 22 asbestosis, 23 co...

Background Physical inactivity is associated with poor outcomes in COPD, and as a result, interventions to improve physical activity (PA) are a current research focus. However, many trials have been small and inconclusive. Objective The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to study the effects of randomized controlled trials (RCTs)...

Background Pulmonary rehabilitation is a cornerstone of care for COPD but uptake of traditional centre-based programmes is poor. We assessed whether home-based pulmonary rehabilitation, delivered using minimal resources, had equivalent outcomes to centre-based pulmonary rehabilitation. Methods A randomised controlled equivalence trial with 12?mont...

Domiciliary oxygen therapy (DOT) is commonly prescribed for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and hypoxaemia with the aim of improving symptoms and functional status, and possibly survival. This qualitative study aimed to explore perspectives of patients with ILD about DOT and to compare insights from patients using and …

Smoking is common in adults with asthma, yet a paucity of literature exists on smoking cessation strategies specifically targeting this subgroup. Adverse respiratory effects from personal smoking include worse asthma control and a predisposition to lower lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Some data suggest that individuals wit...

Rationale: Comparisons of home mechanical ventilation services have demonstrated considerable regional variation in patient populations managed with this therapy. The respiratory care practices used to support individuals receiving assisted ventilation also appear to vary, but they are not well described. It is uncertain whether differences in the...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that constitutes a major global health burden. A significant proportion of patients experience skeletal muscle wasting and loss of strength as a comorbidity of their COPD, a condition that severely impacts on their quality of life and survival. At present the lung pathology...

Background and objective: Poorly controlled asthma during pregnancy is hazardous for both mother and foetus. Better asthma control may be achieved if patients are involved in regular self-monitoring of symptoms and self-management according to a written asthma action plan. Telehealth applications to optimize asthma management and outcomes in pregn...

Background and objective: Existing evidence that supports maternal smoking to be a potential risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for adult offspring has barely been mentioned in major guideline documents, suggesting a need for more robust and consistent data. We aimed to examine whether such early life exposure can predisp...

Background Oxygen desaturation during exercise is common in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of the study is to determine, in people with COPD who desaturate during exercise, whether supplemental oxygen during an eight-week exercise training program is more effective than medical air (sham intervention) in improving...

The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is recommended to be performed twice to accurately assess exercise performance in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to the presence of a learning effect. It is unknown whether a learning effect exists when the 6MWT is performed during hospitalisation for acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). This s...

This is a summary of the recent Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand Clinical Practice Guideline on Adult Domiciliary Oxygen Therapy (available at http://www.thoracic.org.au),1 which revises a previous position statement published in 2005. Changes to previous recommendations are highlighted, and explanation is provided in cases where recom...