Pulmonary Resource Center
Explore a curated collection of pulmonary disease resources featuring guidelines, clinical studies, reviews, and practice tools focused on asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and pneumonia. Topics include diagnosis, disease management, antimicrobial stewardship, pulmonary rehabilitation, inhalation therapies, emerging treatments, and the pharmacist’s role in optimizing patient care. These resources are designed to support evidence-based practice and improve outcomes across the continuum of pulmonary care.
Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a rare, inherited genetic disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. This buildup makes it hard to breathe, leads to severe lung infections, and prevents proper food digestion.
Guidelines, Consensus Statements and Organization Resources
- Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Care Guidelines
- European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) Standards of Care for Cystic Fibrosis
- Cystic fibrosis foundation consensus statements for the care of cystic fibrosis lung transplant recipients
- Cystic Fibrosis Pulmonary Guidelines. Chronic Medications for Maintenance of Lung Health
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pulmonary Guidelines. Use of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Modulator Therapy in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis
Pulmonary Complications and Exacerbations
- Pulmonary Complications in Cystic Fibrosis: Past, Present and Future (Chest 2021)
- Diagnosis and Management of Cystic Fibrosis Exacerbations (Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2023)
- A randomized clinical trial of antimicrobial duration for cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbation treatment (Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2021)
- A randomised trial of oral prednisone for cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbation treatment (Eur Respir J 2024)
Therapeutics
- Azithromycin in patients with cystic fibrosis chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a randomized controlled trial (JAMA 2003)
- Effect of azithromycin on pulmonary function in patients with cystic fibrosis uninfected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a randomized controlled trial (JAMA 2010)
- Pulmonary outcomes associated with long-term azithromycin therapy in cystic fibrosis (Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020)
- Macrolide antibiotics (including azithromycin) for cystic fibrosis (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2024)
- Role of inhaled antibiotics in the era of highly effective CFTR modulators (Eur Respir Rev 2023)
- Aerosolized agents for airway clearance in cystic fibrosis (Pediatric Pulmonology. 2019)
- Inhaled interventions in cystic fibrosis: mucoactive and antibiotic therapies (Respiration. 2014)
Pharmacokinetic Considerations
- Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Optimization of Antibiotic Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis Patients: Current Evidences, Gaps in Knowledge and Future Directions (Clin Pharmacokinet. 2021)
- Clinical Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Considerations in the Drug Treatment of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria in Cystic Fibrosis (Clin Pharmacokinet. 2021)
- The Pharmacokinetic Changes in Cystic Fibrosis Patients Population: Narrative Review (Medicines (Basel). 2024)
- Pharmacokinetics in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis: A Systematic Review of Data Published Between 1999 and 2019 (Clin Pharmacokinet. 2020)
Practice Resources
- ASHP Best Practices Award: Making CF-Magic: Creation of a genomics-based clinical decision support program improves time to initiation and optimization of CFTR modulator therapies
- The pharmacist’s role in supporting people living with cystic fibrosis (J Am Pharm Assoc. 2018)
- A scoping review of clinical pharmacist and pharmacy technician contributions to cystic fibrosis care (J Am Coll Clin Pharm. 2023)
- Implementing services for pediatric cystic fibrosis treatment in a community hospital (Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2024)
- A decade of change: The evolution of pharmacy services at U.S. cystic fibrosis centers (Pediatric Pulm 2024)
Asthma
Asthma is a common, long-term disease that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs.
Guidelines
- Emergency department course of patients with asthma receiving initial emergency medical services care—Perspectives From the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (J Am Coll Emerg Physicians 2023)
- Comparison of Regularly Scheduled with As-Needed Use of Albuterol in Mild Asthma (1996, NEJM)
- Effect of Inhaled Formoterol and Budesonide on Exacerbations of Asthma (1997, NEJM)
- The Salmeterol Multicenter Asthma Research Trial: a comparison of usual pharmacotherapy for asthma or usual pharmacotherapy plus salmeterol (2006, CHEST)
- Tiotropium Bromide Step-Up Therapy for Adults with Uncontrolled Asthma (2010, NEJM)
- Once-Daily Single-Inhaler Triple versus Dual Therapy in Patients with COPD (2018, NEJM)
- Evaluation of Budesonide-Formoterol for Maintenance and Reliever Therapy Among Patients With Poorly Controlled Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. (JAMA Netw Open. 2022)
- Nebulizer versus metered dose inhaler with space chamber (MDI spacer) for acute asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation: attitudes of patients and healthcare providers in the COVID-19 era (J Asthma. 2023)
- The 2020 Focused Updates to the NIH Asthma Management Guidelines: Key Points for Pediatricians (Pediatrics 2021)
Practice Resources
- Essential Role of Pharmacists in Asthma Care and Management (J Pharm Pract 2020)
- Asthma Quick Care Reference (HHS 2012)
- Clinical Guidance for Asthma, Other Respiratory Conditions, and/or Mold Allergy After a Severe Weather Event (CDC 2024)
- Pediatric Asthma Review for Pharmacists Providing Asthma Education (J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther 2016)
ASHP Resources
COPD
This collection features key clinical guidelines, landmark studies, and ASHP educational resources to support evidence-based, multidisciplinary management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) across the continuum of care.
Guidelines
- The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Annual Report
- Pharmacologic management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. an Official American Thoracic Society clinical practice guideline (Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020)
- Pulmonary rehabilitation for adults with chronic respiratory disease: an official American Thoracic Society clinical practice guideline (Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2023)
Articles
- Stable COPD
- Once-daily single-inhaler triple versus dual therapy in patients with COPD (N Engl J Med 2018)
- Triple inhaled therapy at two glucocorticoid doses in moderate-to-very-severe COPD (N Engl J Med 2020)
- Withdrawal of inhaled glucocorticoids and exacerbations of COPD (N Engl J Med 2014)
- Long-term triple therapy de-escalation to indacaterol/glycopyrronium in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (SUNSET): a randomized, double-blind, triple-dummy clinical trial (Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2018)
- Smoking cessation for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016)
- Dupilumab for COPD with type 2 inflammation indicated by eosinophil counts (N Eng J Med 2023)
- Effects of opioids on breathlessness and exercise capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A systematic review (Ann Am Thorac Soc 2015)
- COPD Exacerbations
- Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A review focusing on exacerbations (Am J Health Syst Pharm 2020)
- Bronchodilators delivered by nebuliser versus pMDI with spacer or DPI for exacerbations of COPD (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016)
- Short-term vs conventional glucocorticoid therapy in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the REDUCE randomized clinical trial (JAMA 2013)
- A multifaceted stewardship intervention helps curb steroid overprescribing in hospitalized patients with acute exacerbations of COPD (Am J Heal Syst Pharm 2022)
- Antibiotics for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012)
- Are short courses of antibiotic therapy as effective as standard courses for COPD exacerbations? A systematic review and meta-analysis (Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2022)
- Inhalation Devices
- Inhaler device selection: special considerations in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Am J Health Syst Pharm 2011)
- Rational selection of inhalation devices in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by means of the System of Objectified Judgement Analysis (SOJA) (Eur J Hosp Pharm 2021)
ASHP Resources
Pulmonary Hypertension
This collection features current guidelines, foundational reviews, treatment algorithms, and ASHP educational resources to support the evidence-based diagnosis, risk assessment, and management of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Guidelines
- 2022 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension
- Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Adults: Update of the CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report
Articles
- Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (N Engl J Med. 2021)
- Classification and pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension (CCE 2018)
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Review (JAMA. 2022)
- Treatment algorithm for pulmonary arterial hypertension (Eur Respir J. 2024)
- Revised Definition of Pulmonary Hypertension and Approach to Management: A Clinical Primer (J Am Heart Assoc. 2023)
ASHP Resources
Pneumonia
This collection features guideline-based recommendations, landmark studies, and ASHP educational resources to support the prevention, diagnosis, risk stratification, and evidence-based management of community-acquired, hospital-acquired, and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Community Acquired Pneumonia
Guidelines
Articles
- Risk Assessment
- Community-Acquired Pneumonia (N Engl J Med. 2023)
- Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Review (JAMA 2024)
- Defining community acquired pneumonia severity on presentation to hospital: an international derivation and validation study (Thorax 2003)
- Prospective comparison of three validated prediction rules for prognosis in community-acquired pneumonia (Am J Med. 2005)
- Antimicrobial Prevention and Treatment
- Discontinuing β-lactam treatment after 3 days for patients with community-acquired pneumonia in non-critical care wards (PTC): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, non-inferiority trial (Lancet. 2021)
- Short- vs Standard-Course Outpatient Antibiotic Therapy for Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Children: The SCOUT-CAP Randomized Clinical Trial (JAMA Pediatr. 2022)
- Steroids
ASHP Resources
- Podcasts
- Webinars
Hospital Acquired/Ventilator Associated Pneumonia
Guidelines
- Management of Adults With Hospital-acquired and Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: 2016 Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Thoracic Society (Clin Infect Dis. 2016)
Articles
- Strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia, ventilator-associated events, and nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia in acute-care hospitals: 2022 Update (Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2022)
- Ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults: a narrative review (Intensive Care Med. 2020)
- Effect of Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract on Hospital Mortality in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation: A Randomized Clinical Trial (JAMA. 2022)
- Comparison of 8 vs 15 days of antibiotic therapy for ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults: a randomized trial (JAMA. 2003)
- Short-course versus prolonged-course antibiotic therapy for hospital-acquired pneumonia in critically ill adults (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015)