If NHLBI set research priorities for pediatric cardiomyopathy and heart failure, it would help investigators better align their application with institute goals.

During recent years, clinical research including well-organized randomized clinical trials in developed countries generated large database and human biological sample banks. These are valuable resources for human disease research. Mechanisms to encourage and facilitate international collaboration for genetic and metabolic research using database and human biological samples from specific human disease population of international ...more »

1) Phase III efficacy trials of new tuberculosis drugs (e.g., bedaquiline, delamanid, PA-824) that have shown promise in early phase studies for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. 2) Phase III efficacy trials of new and existing tuberculosis drugs to development very short course regimens (3-4 months). 3) Phase III efficacy trials of new and existing drugs for treatment of latent tuberculosis infection in contacts of ...more »

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is responsible for over 1 million hospital admissions and about 100,000 deaths per year. We still do not know the best antibiotic regimen to treat CAP. Retrospective studies and cohort studies support giving macrolides, while randomized controlled studies (essentially all done by pharma) have not shown benefit of macrolides.  Guidelines allow either a macrolide or a quinolone.

The true prevalence of Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections remains incompletely understood, however several aspects of NTM lung disease prevalence are becoming more clear. NTM lung disease is currently more common in the U.S. than TB (by a factor of 3) and has consistently been shown to be increasing in prevalence. When viewed in the context of likely universal environmental NTM exposure this increasing ...more »

1. Monotherapy with a quinolone vs combination therapy with a 3rd generation cephalosporin. The issue of the best antibiotic treatment for severe CAP has been a major area of contention now for a decade and it is the most common cause of infectious death in the United States. 2. Combination therapy vs monotherapy for pneumonia due to Pseudomonas. This is another major area of contention – for nearly 2 decades, and generates ...more »

Does the addition of albumin to fluid conservative management of ALI (ARDSnet FACTT trial protocol, Wiedemann et al) further shorten ventilator time and/or improve survival?

Critical care medicine comprises a diffuse array of diseases, syndromes, illnesses and symptoms arising from those sources requiring advanced care by highly trained teams of interdisciplinary professionals. Research is sorely needed on generating evidence that is broadly applicable to a heterogeneous group of patients. This is a major challenge for researchers who enroll critically ill patients into their clinical trials. ...more »

Palliation of symptoms associated with a number of pulmonary conditions; promotion of patient participation in symptom self-management across the spectrum of illness, from ICU admission to rehabilitation to home; requires a multi-disciplinary perspective and team. There are a plethora of distressing symptoms (anxiety, shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, weakness) associated with a number of chronic pulmonary conditions, ...more »

We know that vasopressin layered on to norepinephrine treatment for septic shock tends to produce better outcomes (VASST trial, Russell et al) than norepinephrine alone. We still need to know if norepinephrine should be first line or if vasopressin should be first line (and perhaps monotherapy) for septic shock.

What is the relation of environmental factors such as cigarette smoke exposure to the risk of developing acute lung injury as well as the outcome from acute lung injury and sepsis?

Large scale implementation of “change of culture” studies by which to revamp the approach to early removal of sedation and mechanical ventilation, coupled with monitoring of the brain and early mobility.