Bronchiectasis: The EMBARC Manual

This book presents state of the art knowledge and practice in the rapidly developing field of bronchiectasis not due to cystic fibrosis. The focus is especially on diagnosis and existing and emerging therapies, but the book also covers a wide range of other key topics, from pathophysiology, histopathology, and immunology through to pulmonary rehabilitation, nursing care, and management in primary care and pediatric settings. While non–cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis was formerly regarded as an “orphan” disease, international data reveal an increase in its prevalence in recent years. Accordingly, there has been renewed interest in the disease, resulting in more clinical research and the development of new treatments. The impact of bronchiectasis on healthcare systems is substantial and it has a clear attributable mortality. In covering all aspects of the disease, this book will be of interest to respiratory, internal medicine, and infectious disease fellows as well as specialists, final-year medical students, nurses and physiotherapists. The authors are leading experts and chairs of the steering committee of EMBARC, the first truly international bronchiectasis network.

About the Author

Dr James D Chalmers is Senior Clinical Lecturer and Consultant Physician at the Scottish Centre for Respiratory Research at the University of Dundee. He runs a large specialist bronchiectasis clinic in the East of Scotland and a research group focussing on the interactions between neutrophil mediated inflammation and bacterial infection in chronic respiratory disease, particularly bronchiectasis and COPD. He is associated editor of the European Respiratory Journal and a member of the international advisory board of the Lancet Respiratory Medicine. He is chair of the European Bronchiectasis Network and Registry (EMBARC).

Eva Polverino is Doctor of Medicine in Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology from the University of Pisa (Italy). She currently works as postdoctoral clinical researcher at the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, IDIBAPS. Specialist in respiratory medicine, she is involved in the field of respiratory infections and particularly in Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP), noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) and humoral immuno-deficiencies. She investigates epidemiology, risk factors, outcome, treatment and prevention of the most relevant respiratory infections. In the field of bronchiectasis main objectives are focused on investigation of the prevalence and outcomes of this underestimated but very frequent disease, and its impact on the society. The results of her research are aimed at investigating pathogenetic mechanisms of respiratory infections, improving their clinical outcomes and patients’ quality of life.

Stefano Aliberti is Associate Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Milan and consultant at the Cardio-Thoracic Unit and Cystic Fibrosis Adult Center at the Policlinico Hospital in Milan, Italy. His research interest is in respiratory infectious diseases, including bronchiectasis, NTM and pneumonia. He has published extensively in this area over the past 10 years as well as co-authoring books and book chapters on respiratory medicine. He is Head of the Respiratory Infection Assembly of the European Respiratory Society. He is chair of EMBARC (European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration), director of the Italian Registry of Bronchiectasis IRIDE and the Italian Registry of pulmonary NTM IRENE.