@article {Scala2973, author = {Raffaele Scala and Stefano Nava and Antonio Corrado and Marco Confalonieri and Nicola Facciolongo}, title = {Ethical issues in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with acute respiratory failure (IPF-ARF): An Italian survey}, volume = {38}, number = {Suppl 55}, elocation-id = {2973}, year = {2011}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {Aims: To determine Italian Pulmonologist{\textquoteright}s attitudes and behaviour towards diagnostic and therapeutical choices in competent IPF-ARF patients.Methods: A web-site survey (30-items questionnaire) was sent to all the members of the Study Groups of Respiratory Intensive Care and Diffuse Lung Diseases of Italian Association of Italian Pulmonologists (January-March 2009).Results: 248/370 (67\%) physicians responded to the questionnaire (\>60\%:over-fifties, male, Catholics).About 75\% of respondents agreed on having anticipated directives and on eventually communicating bad news about IPF-ARF.\>75\% of respondents answered that any diagnostic (BAL and/or TBB) and therapeutical choices (drugs,ventilation,palliative care) should be discussed with the patients and relatives. However, almost 50\% of respondents reported to start ventilation and palliative care only in \<25\% of cases.BAL under NIV was recommended to eventually find the cause of ARF by half of respondents, while 77\% reported to perform BAL and/or TBB in \<25\% of cases.More responders stated that NIV was not likely to improve survival (76.7\% vs 10.0\%) and to facilitate the communication with the relatives (50.7\% vs 19.4\%). 43.5\% of the physicians did not agree on the concept of using NIV to reduce dyspnea and 40\% on its use to gain time for end-of-life decisions. \>60\% of the respondents considered to perform NIV and intubation when a reversible ARF cause is supposed.About 60\% of the respondents used NIV and palliation in \<25\% of cases, while \>90\% of them intubated patients in \<25\% of cases.Conclusions: A discrepancy between attitudes and behaviour of Italian Pulmonologists emerged towards IPF-ARF issues.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/2973}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }