Key diagnostic and management issues with regard to comorbidities in interstitial lung diseases (ILDs)
| The use of immediate antibiotic treatment for acute respiratory infections |
| The recognition of chronic infection as a cause of rapid deterioration of ILD |
| The recognition of GORD as a possible cause of the development and acute deterioration of pulmonary fibrosis |
| The recognition of disproportionate PH in patients with mild-to-moderate ILD |
| The stratification of patients with ILD and lung cancer according to the risk of post-operative complications |
| The recognition of PE and CAD as causes of shortness of breath that is disproportionate to the extent of the underlying ILD |
| The diagnosis of OSA and the institution of management associated with good patient compliance. The referral of patients with clinically significant depression for psychiatric advice |
GORD: gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; PH: pulmonary hypertension; PE: pulmonary embolism; CAD: coronary artery disease; OSA: obstructive sleep apnoea.