Management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in pneumology department

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most prevalent of interstitial lung diseases (ILD). The disease consists in the replacement of lung alveoli by a fibrotic tissue. Median survival in the absence of treatment is 3 to 5 years. Pirfenidone and nintedanib, two recently approved antifibrotic drugs, are able to slow disease course and prevent IPF-related exacerbations. For all these reasons, proper diagnosis and management are mandatory. The American (ATS), European (ERS), Latin American (ALAT) and Japanese (JRS) respiratory societies published joined updated guidelines for IPF diagnosis end of 2018(1). Those guidelines clearly highlight the role of a multidisciplinary discussion (MDD)-based management. First step consists in ruling out concurrent diagnosis through an appropriate interpretation of clinical, biological and radiological features by the members of the MDD. Optimal and holistic IPF management includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.