XXXVI Symposium of the Croatian Society for Pediatric Pulmonology with International Participation

Abstract

The XXXVI Symposium of the Croatian Society for Pediatric Pulmonology with international participation, titled “Immunological Therapy in Pediatric Pulmonology,” was held in Veli Lošinj from October 18–20, 2024, organized by the Croatian Society for Pediatric Pulmonology and the Veli Lošinj Sanatorium. The symposium aimed to present the latest trends in research, mechanisms, clinical guidelines, and experiences in the application of various forms of immunological therapy for pediatric pulmonary diseases.

The main topics of the lectures included the use of biological therapy in pediatric asthma and associated atopic diseases, allergen-specific immunotherapy, contemporary views and guidelines on the use of corticosteroids in daily clinical practice with a focus on preschool wheezing, and the side effects of biological and immunosuppressive therapies in pulmonology.

Distinguished international experts participated in the symposium: Prof. Andrew Bush (Imperial College, National Heart and Lung Institute, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK) presented on “New asthma biologics: Who to treat, who not to,” Prof. Alessandro Amaddeo (Institute for Maternal and Child Health Burlo Garofolo (IRCCS) - Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare, Trieste, Italy) discussed “Systemic steroids in pediatric pulmonology: Who, when, and how,” and Prof. Vojko Berce (Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Centre Maribor, Faculty of Medicine, Maribor, Slovenia) delivered a lecture on “Comparison of the efficacy of sublingual and subcutaneous immunotherapy in the treatment of childhood asthma.”

During their stay at the Veli Lošinj Sanatorium, symposium participants were introduced to the mechanisms of thalassotherapy and climatotherapy on the respiratory system, as well as the history of the Sanatorium, whose activities date back 130 years.