Correct!
3. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)

Most of the interstitial lung diseases respond well to steroid treatment except IPF. No treatment has been shown to be effective in IPF. Azathioprine, N-acetylcysteine and a steroid combination is often used, however, combination therapy cannot change the course of IPF. Additionally, a recent clinical trial showed combination therapy is associated with a higher mortality and more adverse effects than placebo (8).

References

  1. American Thoracic Society. Diagnosis and initial management of nonmalignant diseases related to asbestos. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004;170(6):691-715. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 
  2. Papanikolaou IC, Drakopanagiotakis F, Polychronopoulos VS. Acute exacerbations of interstitial lung diseases. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2010;16(5):480-6. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 
  3. The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network. Ventilation with lower tidal volumes as compared with traditional tidal volumes for acute lung injury and the acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2000;342(18):1301-8. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 
  4. Briel M, Meade M, Mercat A et al. Higher vs lower positive end-expiratory pressure in patients with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2010;303(9):865-73. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 
  5. Fernández-Pérez ER, Yilmaz M, Jenad H, Daniels CE, Ryu JH, Hubmayr RD, Gajic O. Ventilator settings and outcome of respiratory failure in chronic interstitial lung disease. Chest. 2008;133(5):1113-9. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 
  6. Cordier JF. Cryptogenic organising pneumonia. Eur Respir J. 2006;28(2):422-46. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 
  7. Lazor R, Vandevenne A, Pelletier A, Leclerc P, Court-Fortune I, Cordier JF. Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia. Characteristics of relapses in a series of 48 patients. The Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherche sur les Maladles "Orphelines" Pulmonaires (GERM"O"P). Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000;162(2 Pt 1):571-7. [PubMed] 
  8. National Institutes of Health. Commonly used three-drug regimen for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis found harmful. Available at: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2011/nhlbi-21.htm (accessed 2/11/14).

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