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The characteristics of intersitial lung disease patients attending Groote Schuur Hospital Respiratory clinic

Rationale: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) encompass a myriad of clinical conditions posing diagnostic challenges in low-income settings. The incidence of Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is unknown on the African continent. Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) provides a tertiary referral and follow-u...

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Main Author: Soin, Gurveen
Other Authors: Van Zyl-Smit, Richard
Format: Thesis
Language:Eng
Published: Department of Medicine 2024
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access_status_str Open Access
author Soin, Gurveen
author2 Van Zyl-Smit, Richard
author_browse Soin, Gurveen
Van Zyl-Smit, Richard
author_facet Van Zyl-Smit, Richard
Soin, Gurveen
author_sort Soin, Gurveen
collection Thesis
description Rationale: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) encompass a myriad of clinical conditions posing diagnostic challenges in low-income settings. The incidence of Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is unknown on the African continent. Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) provides a tertiary referral and follow-up service for patients with suspected ILDs. We set out to determine the burden of IPF and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) in an African setting. Methods: All patients attending the GSH respiratory clinic with known or suspected ILD were identified over six months. Demographics, spirometry, high-resolution CT findings, histology, and final diagnosis and treatments were captured. IPF incidence was estimated using published population and medical insurance numbers, hospital referral area/pattern, and new IPF diagnoses over a full year period. The presence of PPF was determined by worsening clinical features and lung function in accordance with ATS/ERS guidelines. Results: A total of 103 patients (28 new and 75 follow-ups) were seen over six months. The follow-up patients were predominantly female (81%), diagnosed with systemic sarcoidosis (57%) & connective tissue disease-ILD (CT-ILD) 26%. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis accounted for 5% of follow-up patients, and only 2 IPF patients were in follow-up. CTD-ILD was the most common diagnosis in new patients: 43% and 29% had sarcoidosis. Five new patients were diagnosed with IPF during the 6-month study review and a total of 11 over 1 year. 31% of the CTD-ILD patients had systemic sclerosis SSC; 70% diffuse, and 30% limited. A further 25% had rheumatoid arthritis, and 13% had SLE. Six patients were confirmed to have hypersensitivity pneumonia. Thirteen patients met the criteria for PPF, and a further five patients had rates of decline over four months that, if projected to 12 months, would fulfil the PPF criteria. All 18 patients had an FVC decline of >100mls: mean(range) rate of decline 9.2% (5–22%). Conclusions: Specialised resources and diagnostic modalities to identify and manage ILD patients are required in low resourced settings. The burden of IPF is low but requires confirmation and is likely an underestimate. The potential need for anti-fibrotic treatment is impacted upon by the definition of FVC decline over 12 months.
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language Eng
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license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
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spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39880 The characteristics of intersitial lung disease patients attending Groote Schuur Hospital Respiratory clinic Soin, Gurveen Van Zyl-Smit, Richard Medicine Rationale: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) encompass a myriad of clinical conditions posing diagnostic challenges in low-income settings. The incidence of Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is unknown on the African continent. Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) provides a tertiary referral and follow-up service for patients with suspected ILDs. We set out to determine the burden of IPF and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) in an African setting. Methods: All patients attending the GSH respiratory clinic with known or suspected ILD were identified over six months. Demographics, spirometry, high-resolution CT findings, histology, and final diagnosis and treatments were captured. IPF incidence was estimated using published population and medical insurance numbers, hospital referral area/pattern, and new IPF diagnoses over a full year period. The presence of PPF was determined by worsening clinical features and lung function in accordance with ATS/ERS guidelines. Results: A total of 103 patients (28 new and 75 follow-ups) were seen over six months. The follow-up patients were predominantly female (81%), diagnosed with systemic sarcoidosis (57%) & connective tissue disease-ILD (CT-ILD) 26%. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis accounted for 5% of follow-up patients, and only 2 IPF patients were in follow-up. CTD-ILD was the most common diagnosis in new patients: 43% and 29% had sarcoidosis. Five new patients were diagnosed with IPF during the 6-month study review and a total of 11 over 1 year. 31% of the CTD-ILD patients had systemic sclerosis SSC; 70% diffuse, and 30% limited. A further 25% had rheumatoid arthritis, and 13% had SLE. Six patients were confirmed to have hypersensitivity pneumonia. Thirteen patients met the criteria for PPF, and a further five patients had rates of decline over four months that, if projected to 12 months, would fulfil the PPF criteria. All 18 patients had an FVC decline of >100mls: mean(range) rate of decline 9.2% (5–22%). Conclusions: Specialised resources and diagnostic modalities to identify and manage ILD patients are required in low resourced settings. The burden of IPF is low but requires confirmation and is likely an underestimate. The potential need for anti-fibrotic treatment is impacted upon by the definition of FVC decline over 12 months. 2024-06-05T13:33:02Z 2024-06-05T13:33:02Z 2023 2024-06-04T13:37:18Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MMed http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39880 Eng application/pdf Department of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences
spellingShingle Medicine
Soin, Gurveen
The characteristics of intersitial lung disease patients attending Groote Schuur Hospital Respiratory clinic
thesis_degree_str Master's
title The characteristics of intersitial lung disease patients attending Groote Schuur Hospital Respiratory clinic
title_full The characteristics of intersitial lung disease patients attending Groote Schuur Hospital Respiratory clinic
title_fullStr The characteristics of intersitial lung disease patients attending Groote Schuur Hospital Respiratory clinic
title_full_unstemmed The characteristics of intersitial lung disease patients attending Groote Schuur Hospital Respiratory clinic
title_short The characteristics of intersitial lung disease patients attending Groote Schuur Hospital Respiratory clinic
title_sort characteristics of intersitial lung disease patients attending groote schuur hospital respiratory clinic
topic Medicine
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39880
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AT soingurveen characteristicsofintersitiallungdiseasepatientsattendinggrooteschuurhospitalrespiratoryclinic