“We all treat patients in the middle, everybody does, all the time – and we would love more guidance,” he said. “One of the reasons the number of articles has gone up is that there have been lots of case definitions. But we can’t get consensus. So who do we have to bring to the table to get a consensus definition so we can get the funding we need from the drug companies or governmental bodies to do the research that we all want?”
Dr. Tashkin said the way forward could be to draw on the points of consensus that do exist on certain criteria.
Dr. Peebles said an international panel is needed to draw up a consensus guideline, with the panel including both pulmonologists and allergists – “people experienced with clinical trials, who take care of a lot of patients.”