THE KEY ROLE OF PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES IN CHRONIC LUNG DISEASES: CHRONIC BRONCHITIS AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE A narrative summary of selected presentations given at the second Encuentro Latinoamericano de Infecciones Respiratorias Recurrentes (ELAIR), an educational summit held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 4th–5th July 2015 Dario Olivieri,1 Sanjay Sethi,2 Ana M. Koatz3 1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Parma, Italy 2. Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA 3. Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina Disclosure: The authors received an honorarium from OM/Vifor Pharma (Meyrin, Switzerland) as regional experts and presenters at the ELAIR summit, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Acknowledgements: Writing assistance was provided by Dr Ewen Legg of Halcyon Medical Writing. Support: The publication of this article was funded by OM/Vifor Pharma. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of OM/Vifor Pharma. Citation: EMJ Respir. 2016;4(Suppl 1):18-26.

ABSTRACT This educational summit, supported by an independent grant from OM/Vifor Pharma, brought together physicians specialising in pulmonary medicine, otolaryngology, surgery, immunology, and paediatrics. Delegates from the USA, Europe, and Latin America met and discussed the current unmet needs of patients suffering respiratory tract infections (RTIs). The meeting included plenary lectures, workshops, and interactive sessions, allowing delegates and presenters to debate the most pressing local and international issues in the field.

INTRODUCTION The definition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has shifted with the increased understanding of contributory factors and disease evolution. Previously classified as an irreversible airway obstruction, COPD is now understood to be partially reversible with treatment, as recognised in the most recent GOLD definition: a common preventable and treatable disease, characterised by persistent airflow limitation. COPD is usually a progressive condition characterised by chronic inflammation. The chronic inflammation is driven by a vicious cycle of epithelial injury, comorbid infections, exacerbations, and impaired lung defences, which contribute to the severity of the condition. Diagnostic features include dyspnoea, chronic cough, and sputum production as well as a history of exposure to risk factors such as

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smoking. COPD is diagnosed by spirometry showing persistent airflow limitation (post-bronchodilator FEV1 /FVC