Rare Disease Day

Thursday 29 February is Rare Disease Day, an annual focal point that enables rare disease advocacy work to progress on a local, national and international level. To mark the event, ERS is offering a €10 discount on all print copies of the ERS Monograph on Rare Diseases of the Respiratory System ordered before 11 March.

Order your copy | Find out more about Rare Disease Day

New podcast: The Challenge of Tuberculosis in the 21st Century

"We have to continue the investment in TB control and in TB research if we want to get rid of this long-standing foe of humanity"

Guest Editors Alberto García-Basteiro and Füsun Öner Eyüboglu join Dorina Esendagli (the ERS Monograph's Early Career Representative) to discuss their Monograph The Challenge of Tuberculosis in the 21st Century. In an in-depth conversation, they cover: key and updated areas in the book; the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB global care; subclinical and latent TB infection; and new recommendations regarding treatment duration. Both Alberto and Füsun clearly demonstrate how, with continued investment and ongoing research, TB control can succeed.

Listen to the podcast | Order your print copy of the Monograph 

COPD in the 21st Century – available now

The latest ERS Monograph on COPD in the 21st Century has now been published. This Monograph provides an up-to-date overview of what is happening in this exciting field, both at a basic and clinical level. Beginning, crucially, with the patient's perspective, the chapters that follow consider the best way to define COPD, changes in the disease's incidence and prevalence, and offer new insights into the role of the microbiome in COPD, advances in imaging and treatment options, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological. Taken together, these chapters are an important contribution to the Monograph series and the COPD field in general. 

Access the Monograph online | Order your print copy

Breathe: Management of pleural disease

The latest issue of Breathe focuses on diagnosing and managing pleural disease, with review articles looking at diagnosis and management of malignant pleural effusions in resource-constrained settings and the tuberculous pleural effusion. The journal club focuses on trials investigating antimicrobial strategies and the use of oral corticosteroids in pleural infection.

Read the Chief Editor's introductory editorial | Browse the full table of contents

Rare Disease Day: a holistic approach of ILDs in 2024

In support of Rare Disease Day, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) will hold a webinar on 29 February entitled "Rare Diseases Day: a holistic approach of ILDs in 2024". The webinar will consider: which patients and relatives may benefit from genetic testing and clinical counselling; the diagnosis and therapeutic assessment of cystic lung disease; and the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients.

Register now | Order your copy of Rare Diseases of the Respiratory System (€10 discount until 11 March)

ERS President to lead paediatric respiratory healthcare discussion in European Parliament

On 5 March, ERS President Professor Monika Gappa will lead a discussion in the European  Parliament on the pressing topic of inequalities in paediatric respiratory healthcare. The event will present information in a number of key areas of childhood respiratory health. All interested stakeholders, including medical professionals, can request to attend this event, but please be aware that as this discussion will not be live streamed, places are limited and registration is not guaranteed.

Read more or request to attend | Order your print copy of Inequalities in Respiratory Health

ERJ pick of the week

Indwelling pleural catheters are not superior to chest drain and pleurodesis at improving quality of life in patients with malignant pleural effusion.

Read the article | Submit to the European Respiratory Journal

ERJ podcast: The microbiome in early life and childhood asthma

In the latest European Respiratory Journal (ERJ) podcast episode, Chief Editor James Chalmers interviews Early Career Editor Zhaozhong Zhu about the effects of the microbiome in early life on childhood asthma.

Listen to the episode | Access the ERJ

Curbside Consult: Pulmonary Hypertension

The latest episode of Curbside Consult is available now exclusively on the ERS Respiratory Channel. In this episode Professor Sean Gaine and Dr Emer Kelly discuss pulmonary hypertension with Professor Marc Humbert, a past ERS President and lead author of the ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension.

Watch the episode

ERS experts join call for rapid action on clean air in Europe

Health groups including experts from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) urge immediate action on air quality in Europe. A deal between the European Parliament, Council and Commission on the European Union (EU) Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) revision will soon be reached; experts warn that a delay in fully aligning the EU's AAQD with WHO air quality guidelines will cause more then 300,000 premature deaths and widen Europe's health inequality gap.

Read the full statement | Order your print copy of Inequalities in Respiratory Health |
Order your print copy of Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease

ERS Clinical Practice Guideline: palliative care for COPD or ILD

On 22 February, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) will hold a webinar to discuss the ERS Clinical Practice Guildeline on palliative care for people with COPD or ILD. An expert panel will discuss when to start palliative care, the use of advance care planning, and implementing a palliative care approach for people with severe COPD or ILD. Attendees will gain an understanding of how a palliative care and patient-centred approach can be used in conjunction with disease-modifying therapies.

Register now | Read the ERS Clinical Practice Guideline

ERS updated position statement on novel nicotine and tobacco products

The statement maintains that the European Respiratory Society (ERS) cannot recommend "harm reduction" as a population-based strategy to reduce smoking and aid quitting, outlining that there is not sufficient evidence to support the tobacco industry's claim that the use of such products can indeed help to reduce tobacco harms, and that such claims are simply exploited by the tobacco industry for financial gain.

Read the statement in full | Order your print copy of Supporting Tobacco Cessation

ERS Congress 2024: abstract and clinical case deadline extended

The deadline to submit either an abstract or a clinical case has been extended to 22 February. Submit your work for the opportunity to be a part of the scientific and educational programme at the next ERS Congress in Vienna. 

Find out more: abstracts | Find out more: clinical cases

ERJ pick of the week

Pulmonary function testing, however useful for clinicians, is an evolving tool, and its interpretation is a difficult exercise that requires precision, open-mindedness and modesty.

Read the article | Submit to the European Respiratory Journal

Journal club: Treatment adherence to inform treatment efficacy

On 21 February, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) will hold a joint webinar to discuss one of the most important publications of 2023 in the field of resiratory sleep medicine: "Adherence to CPAP treatment and the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events: a meta-analysis". Panelists Dr Manual Sánchez de la Torre, Dr Kelly Loeffler and Dr Doug McEvoy will discuss the new results showing the positive effect of CPAP treatment on obstructive sleep apnoea, and the major clinical implications these have for the field.

Register now | Read the study in JAMA | Order your print copy of the ERS Handbook of Respiratory Sleep Medicine

Access the latest ERJ Open Research articles

ERJ Open Research is ERS's fully open access research journal. Amongst the latest articles in the journal, you'll find original research on: home noninvasive ventilation in severe COPD; bronchodilator responsiveness in children with primary ciliary dyskinesia; and overnight desaturation in interstitial lung diseases. The issue also includes a review article on phenotypes and treatment outcomes in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension patients with comorbidities.

Browse the issue in full | Submit to ERJ Open Research

ERJ Editors' Choice

The Chief Editors of the European Respiratory Journal (ERJ) have selected their highlights from the January issue. Their selection includes original articles on: single-cell transcriptomic analysis of human pleura; and sensory interventions to relieve dyspnoea in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients. The issue also features an Editorial from the Chief Editors, and an ERS technical standard on Global Lung Function Initiative reference values for exhaled nitric oxide fraction.

Access the Chief Editors' full list | Visit erj.ersjournals.com to browse the the most highly regarded respiratory journal in Europe

COPD in the 21st Century - pre-order your copy

The forthcoming ERS Monograph on COPD in the 21st Century is now available to pre-order. This Monograph will provide an up-to-date overview of what is happening in this exciting field, both at a basic and a clinical level. 

Pre-order your print copy before 17 February and receive a €10 discount 

Time to Breathe: Air quality and respiratory health in children

In the latest instalment in the Time to Breathe series, ERS E-learning Director Dr Emer Kelly is joined by Om P. Kurmi, of the Reserach Centre for Healthcare and Communities (Coventry, UK), to discuss the Breathe article "Air quality and respiratory health in children".

Watch the interview | Access the article in Breathe 

The microbiome in early lie and childhood asthma

As part of its January issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Chief Editor James Chalmers interviews Early Career Editor Zhaozhong Zhu about the effects of the microbiome in early life on childhood asthma.

Listen to the podcast | Access the ERJ

ERJ pick of the week

The Global Lung Function Initiative network has collated exhaled nitric oxide fraction (F_ENO) values at a flow rate of 50 mL·s^–1 from healthy individuals. Due to heterogeneity between sites and F_ENO devices, it was not possible to develop a single all-age reference equation. Further standardisation is required.

Read the ERS technical standard in full | Submit to the ERJ

Bronchiectasis and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency – more than a coincidence

In the latest episode of Coffee Talk on the ERS Respiratory Channel, Dr Marc Miravitlles – Chair of ERS Clinical Research Collaboration EARCO – chats to Professor Robert A. Stockley, of University Hospital Birmingham, UK. The pair discuss alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, its role in respiratory disease and its relationship with bronchiectasis. 

Watch the episode | Order print copies of the Bronchietasis and AATD Monographs 

Time to Breathe: Holistic management of patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis

In the latest instalment of the Time to Breathe series, ERS e-Learning Director Dr Emer Kelly is joined by Guido Vagheggini (Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialities, Pisa, Italy) and Steve Jones (President of the European Pulmonary Fibrosis Federation (EU-PFF)) discuss the Breathe article: Holistic management of patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis.

Watch the interview | Access the Breathe article in full

Mechanical Ventilation Conference 2024

On 15–17 February, the Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation (RFMV) Conference 2024 will be held in Berlin, Germany, and online. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with numerous experts in the field and meet peers from all over the world, and will benefit from interactive sessions, hands-on practical skills workshops and presentations of original research and case reports.

Register now | Order your print copy of the ERS Practical Handbook of Invasive Mechanical Ventilation

ERJ Open Research seeking high-quality research papers on chronic cough

In response to the continued challenge posed by chronic cough, ERJ Open Research is calling for new submissions relating to this field, particularly those addressing novel mechanisms and treatments of chronic refractory cough. Preference will be given to papers that are clinical trials, provide mechanistic insights or offer new knowledge on management, with fast-track peer review and publication for suitable papers. The deadline for submission is 31 March 2024.

Submit your paper

ERJ research highlights: Early life influences on lung health

The European Respiratory Journal (ERJ) has compiled a number of recently published research articles and editorial commentaries, bringing to light different aspects of pre-term birth effects on lung health and paediatric respiratory disease.

View the articles | Access the latest issue of the ERJ | Submit to the ERJ

Thank you to all our peer reviewers

The ERS publications are voluntarily reviewed. We are most grateful for the hard work and dedication of all those who reviewed manuscripts in 2023. View the 2023 list of peer reviewers for the European Respiratory Journal, the European Respiratory Review, ERJ Open Research, Breathe, the ERS Monograph and the ERS Handbook of Respiratory Sleep Medicine.

World Cancer Day

Sunday 4 February is World Cancer Day. This year's event has the theme "Close the Care Gap", highlighting the need to prioritise cancer and create innovative strategies to confront health inequity. To mark the event, ERS is offering a €10 discount on all print copies of the ERS Monographs on Inequalities in Respiratory Health and Lung Diseases and Cancer ordered before 12 February.

Visit ersbookshop.com to buy your copy and browse our other books. 

ERJ Open Research: pick of the week

Nintedanib is used for the treatment of progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD) with a broad range of underlying diagnoses and variation in disease severity at the point of initiation. Real-world data suggest an acceptable tolerability profile of nintedanib in PF-ILD.

Access the article | Submit your manuscript to ERJ Open Research

Coming soon in the ERS Monograph series

Look out for the following titles, coming soon in the ERS Monograph book series: COPD in the 21st Century (order now and receive a €10 discount), Transition of Care in Respiratory Medicine, COVID-19: An Update and Lung Transplantation. Visit ersbookshop.com to browse all the titles in the ERS Monograph collection.