The disease course in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is variable, but patients experience a progressive decline in lung function and increased symptom burden leading to death. Little is known about the patients' experience and their needs during the disease course or about the burden on family caregivers. Both patients and family caregivers face an altered life as the disease progresses. The aim of our study was to increase knowledge of life with IPF for patients and family caregivers.This study had a qualitative descriptive design using in-depth dyadic interviews with IPF patients (n=25) and family caregivers (n=24). We used the five-step analysis from the framework method and analysed the data on three levels: the patient, the family caregivers and couple level.The following six themes emerged as the main results: information and disclosure, reactional dyssynchrony, perpetual vigilance, emotional ambivalence, gradual and tacit role shift, and adapted coping strategies.Our findings suggest that IPF patients need information at the time of diagnosis, but some issues should be paced as the disease progresses. A palliation plan was demanded by patients and their caregivers. Further efforts are required to provide palliative care to IPF patients starting at the time of diagnosis. @ERSpublications IPF patients and caregivers need information, but full disclosure should be gradual and palliation initiated early

i) IL-8 in BAL fluid correlates to the clinical severity of the pneumonia, and ii) is a predictor of mortality and severe respiratory compromise.

In this study, we identified all adults living in Denmark diagnosed with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and characterized them according to clinical presentation and EUROclass classification. Using a retrospective, cross-sectional design, possible CVID patients were identified in the Danish National Patient Register and Centers in Denmark treating patients with primary immunodeficiencies. The CVID diagnosis was verified by review of medical records. One-hundred-seventy-nine adults with CVID were identified. This corresponds to a prevalence of 1:26,000. The median age at onset of symptoms was 29 years with no sex difference. The median age at diagnosis was 40 years. Males were diagnosed earlier with a peak in the fourth decade of life, whereas females were diagnosed later with a peak in the sixth decade. The median diagnostic delay was seven years. Recurrent sinopulmonary infections were seen in 92.7% of the patients. The prevalence of non-infectious complications was similar to that of previously reported cohorts: bronchiectasis (35.8%), splenomegaly (22.4%), lymphadenopathy (26.3%), granulomatous inflammation (3.9%) and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (14.5%). Non-infectious complications were strongly associated with B cell phenotype, with all having a reduced number of isotype-switched memory B cells. One-hundred-seventy (95%) were treated with immunoglobulin replacement therapy, primarily administered subcutaneously. According to international guidelines, diagnostic evaluation was inadequate in most cases. This study emphasizes the need for improved diagnostic criteria and more awareness of CVID as a differential diagnosis. Diagnosis and management of CVID patients is a challenge requiring specialists with experience in the field of PID.

Compliance with Universal Precautions is unacceptably low, as reflected by the circumstances of MCE. Increased efforts to ensure education in Universal Precautions, easy accessibility of protective barriers, and improved design of the barriers are necessary to improve compliance and reduce the risk of MCE.