India accounts for 15.69% of all chronic lung disease cases globally and 30.25% of total respiratory disease deaths, with COPD being the second most common cause of death in the country. The challenges in the field have increased in view of the looming new Covid variant, writes Mudit Mathur
India accounts for 15.69% of all chronic lung disease cases globally while accounting for 30.25% of total respiratory disease deaths, revealed the Global burden of disease report. It chronicles the high number of respiratory cases in India, potentially COPD and Asthma are 55.23 million and 35 million respectively with COPD being the second most common cause of death. The challenges in the field have increased in view of spread of a new variant of Covid in China and reports of some cases in India.
The experts of pulmonary sciences from all over India assembled at Lucknow in its recently held 15th Respiratory and Critical care update 2023, hosted by Midland Healthcare and Research Centre under the aegis of Surya Foundation. The day-long scientific sessions discussed various advancements and challenges to treat Chronic Respiratory disease like COPD, Asthma, ILD, Lung Cancer, Tuberculosis and others are becoming increasingly prevalent posing challenge to evolve new strategies for tackling these diseases effectively. The global burden of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) has shown an upsurge in recent years due to the higher load of immune-compromised patients suffering from various diseases.
While highlighting achievements in the field of pulmonary sciences, Organising Secretary of 15th Respiratory & Critical Care update 2023, Dr B.P Singh, Director and Chairman of Midland Healthcare and Research Centre, Lucknow, welcomed the eminent participants. Dr Singh highlighted that countless advances in contemporary medicine and especially in critical care achieved during the last decades have contributed not only to longer survival of patients, but also to the increasing incidence of opportunistic infections caused by fungi. Critically unwell patients are at increased risk of developing invasive fungal infections with increased risk of morbidity and mortality.
Former Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, & Member of the National Task Force & Empowered group for the Govt. of India for COVID-19, Dr Randeep Guleria, Chairman-Institute of Internal Medicine and Respiratory & Sleep Medicine highlighted about Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) as a common culprit causing approximately 40% of patients with CAP requiring hospitalisation and 5% of these need support of intensive care unit (ICU), primarily due to shock or the need for invasive or non-invasive mechanical ventilation. He also discussed the role of rapid microbiological techniques (multiplex PCR) when dealing with multi-drug resistance pathogens and in guiding targeted antibiotic therapy.
