Small study tackles nasty side effect of lung drug

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria 1. Adults (≥18 years old) at diarrhoea initiation. 2. Ability to consent and to conduct all procedures of the study, as judged by the study investigator, and agreeing to participate providing informed consent at baseline. 3. Diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) (other than IPF), as registered in electronic medical records (EMR) using free text or international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD) codes (ICD-9 and/or ICD-10), at least 1 day before diarrhoea initiation. 4. Being treated with 150 milligram (mg) bid of nintedanib when initiating diarrhoea symptoms, defined as having a nintedanib anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) code (L01EX09) or the molecule/commercial name registered in the EMR, for at least 1 day before diarrhoea initiation. 5. First pulmonologist consultation (face-to-face) at the time of recruitment due to a first diarrhoea episode as defined by the pulmonologist since nintedanib initiation. Diarrhoea defined as the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools in a 24-hour period (loose or liquid stools defined as stools with a Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) of 6 or 7 points). Exclusion criteria 1. Patients diagnosed with systemic sclerosis associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) as registered in EMR using free text or ICD codes (ICD-9 and ICD-10). Referent to any time before or at diarrhoea initiation. 2. Participation in any clinical trial including a drug or device at any time before or at diarrhoea initiation. 3. Participation in any Patient Support Programme (PSP) at diarrhoea initiation. 4. Having history of chronic gastrointestinal disorder (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease or the short gut syndrome), pancreatic dysfunction/insufficiency, or colon cancer; due to the likelihood of faecal incontinence. Referent to any time before or at diarrhoea initiation. 5. Having a performance status (PS) ≥3 points on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale (ECOG) scale at diarrhoea initiation, due to the likelihood of faecal incontinence.