About Us

Head: Bruno Balbi
Secretary: Johan Vansteenkiste

This assembly is divided into six groups, which cover a wide spectrum of interests.

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Group 01.01 Clinical Problems

Chair: Vincent Cottin
Secretary: Otto Chris Burghuber

This Group gathers together all pulmonary physicians who have a broad interest in clinical respiratory medicine as a whole. Contrasting with specialised Groups that focus on a disease or technique, ours is dedicated to all aspects of respiratory medicine. This includes interstitial lung disease, lung manifestations of systemic diseases, lung problems induced by drugs, disorders of the pleura, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, orphan lung disorders, emerging lung diseases, etc. We aim to focus on clinical questions that will help respiratory physicians take better decisions in their clinical everyday practice, based on the best available scientific evidence. Our Group plays an active role in the Society and organises many Symposia, Postgraduate Courses and Clinical Grand Rounds during the annual Congress as well as contributing to the organisation of ERS School courses. We intend to further develop the collaboration with other Assemblies and Groups, and to promote links between clinicians in respiratory medicine, physicians involved in clinical research, and scientists involved in lung biology. Our priority is to raise the most relevant questions for all pulmonary physicians.

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Group 01.02 Rehabilitation and Chronic Care

Chair: Enrico Clini
Secretary:  Francesco De Blasio

Chronic lung diseases impose an important burden on patients and societies worldwide. Our goal is to try and prevent the inevitable course of many chronic lung diseases and to care for patients with debilitating disorders and to improve their health status. This Group plays an active part in the scientific activities of the Society and organises many Symposia and Postgraduate Courses during the annual ERS Congress in close co-operation with other Assemblies and Groups (epidemiology, respiratory technicians, primary care, respiratory muscles).

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Group 01.03 Imaging

Chair: Walter De Wever
Secretary: Reinhard Kubale

This is a small but dynamic Group which includes thoracic radiologists, pulmologists and specialists in nuclear medicine. We organise many activities within the ERS: Postgraduate Courses, lectures and Grand Rounds. One of our central aims is to promote co-operation with other ERS Groups. In recent years, this has resulted in joint interdisplinary activities at the annual Congress, notably in the fields of occupational lung disease and oncology. One of the highlights of every ERS Congress is the Radiology Grand Round, which is organised by our Group.

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Group 01.04 Interventional Pulmonology

Chair: Julius Janssen
Secretary: Felix Herth

This Group covers the following procedures. Bronchoscopy (flexible and rigid instruments): diagnostic procedures range from simple bronchial wash to TBNA, TBLB, autofluorescence (AF) and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS); therapeutic procedures include foreign body removal, airway dilatation, laser, electrocautery, argon beamer, cryotherapy, brachytherapy, photodynamic therapy and stenting. Pleural biopsy/transthoracic needle aspiration of lung: cytology, histology and culture. Thoracoscopy: investigation of pleural disease and peripheral pulmonary lesions, drainage of pleural effusions including empyema, pleurodesis with sealants, such as talc for pneumothorax and malignant effusions. Tracheostomy: classic and percutaneous, mini-tracheostomy, and tracheal oxygen catheters. Our Group is very active in establishing guidelines, performing surveys and developing cutting-edge technology for the detection of early lung cancer.

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Group 01.05 Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease

Chair: Marjolein Drent
Secretary: Carlos Robalo Cordeiro Jr.

This Group offers the opportunity to exchange views and present data in the diverse field of lung biological investigations. Created as the bronchoalveolar lavage group and thus initially limited to this methodological approach, our Group recently broadened its field of interest to include all the methodologies and approaches used to determine lung biology in health and disease. Most of our members are clinicians employed in everyday practice and employ methodologies such as BAL, sputum, breath condensate, serum markers of disease, etc.

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Group 01.06 General Practice and Primary Care

Chair: Monica Fletcher
Secretary: Niels Chavannes

This Group is specifically aimed at general practitioners, nurses and other allied health professionals in primary care, chest physicians with an interest in what happens outside hospital, and primary care researchers. Our activities and influence within the ERS has grown considerably since we joined the Clinical Assembly in 2000.  In Florence, 2000, we organised our first Symposium on "Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of asthma and COPD in primary care". We now have open submission for abstracts for the annual Congress and in 2004 (Glasgow) organised, in co-ordination with our colleagues from Assembly 9, a stand alone day programme for over 600 primary health professionals. As a relavatively small but active group we cooperate with national and international groups interested in respiratory disease reaserch in primary care (such as the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG)). We welcome new members to our Group.