Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health concern in Europe, particularly due to the persistent burden of drug-resistant TB, highlighting the need for a unified approach to diagnosis and treatment. Aims and objectives: To identify variations in the diagnosis and treatment practices of TB across European countries. Methods: Within the Joint Action on REspiratory Diseases (JARED) project, we conducted a structured survey with 26 questions on TB diagnostics and treatment in adults. Representatives from all 15 JARED project countries completed the electronic survey. Results: 13 countries have national guidelines for TB diagnosis and treatment. For TB diagnosis, culture, and rapid molecular genetic tests are reimbursed in almost all countries, whereas genome sequencing-based drug resistance testing is reimbursed in only 6 countries. There is more variability in treatment. In 6 countries, more than 80% of drug-susceptible TB patients start their treatment as inpatients, but in 5 countries, less than 50%. Among drug-resistant TB patients, more than 80% are hospitalized in 9 countries. The duration of inpatient care ranges from 2 weeks to the entire treatment course. Most countries don’t have specialized TB hospitals; patients are treated in specialized TB clinics within multi-profile hospitals or in general pulmonology clinics. Directly observed treatment is provided to the majority of patients in only 7 countries. After treatment, most patients are monitored for 1-2 years, and in 3 countries, longer. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate remarkable variation in TB management across European countries, particularly in the organization of treatment, underscoring the need for wider implementation of standardized, evidence-based approaches to improve TB control.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a highly heterogeneous disease, leading to differences in clinical practices across countries. This study aimed to identify similarities and differences in diagnostic, therapeutic, and follow-up practices for sarcoidosis across European coun-tries. Methods: Within the Joint Action on REspiratory Diseases (JARED) project, we conducted a multinational, cross-sectional study using a key informant expert survey. The structured survey comprised 48 questions on adult sarcoidosis diagnostics and management. Rep-resentatives of all 15 JARED project countries completed the electronic survey. Results: Sarcoidosis and/or interstitial lung disease centres are present in 12 countries, but only 7 have national guidelines for diagnosis and treatment. In most countries, bron-choscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and endobronchial ultrasound-guided lymph node biopsy are performed. The use of bronchoscopic lung biopsies, particularly cryo-biopsies, varies considerably. To assess the extent and activity of the disease, almost all countries perform extended pulmonary function testing, but there are variations in the use of hypercalcaemia and hypercalciuria tests. Positron emission tomography is used routinely only in 4 countries. Around half of the patients are treated with corticosteroids. In most cases, treatment is initiated when an organ other than the lungs is affected or when severe pulmonary function impairment is present. The follow-up intervals range from 1 to 12 months. The monitoring strategies vary based on the radiological stage of sarcoidosis or the severity of the disease. Conclusions: Our survey highlights substantial variation in sarcoidosis management across Europe, underscoring the need for updated, evidence-based recommendations on diagnostic strategies, treatment initiation and duration, and long-term follow-up.

Introduction: The number of NTM-LD cases across Europe continues to increase, yet evidence-based diagnostic and treatment guidelines remain limited. Aims and objectives: To identify similarities and differences in diagnostic and treatment practices for NTM-LD across European countries. Methods: Within the Joint Action on REspiratory Diseases (JARED) project, we conducted a structured survey with 19 questions on NTM-LD diagnostics and treatment in adults. Representatives of all 15 JARED project countries completed the electronic survey. Results: 6 countries have national NTM-LD guidelines, 12 countries have NTM reference laboratories, but only 3 have specialized NTM-LD treatment units. Patients are mostly treated in general pulmonology or internal medicine clinics. For microbiological diagnostics, all countries reimburse cultures on solid and liquid media. In all countries except Ukraine, molecular tests for NTM identification are also reimbursed. The genome sequencing-based drug resistance test is used the least. Bronchoscopy is routinely performed if the sputum test is negative in more than 50% of countries. The coverage of NTM-LD treatment varied substantially between countries, ranging from full government reimbursement to no reimbursement. In 11 countries, severe NTM-LD cases are treated as inpatients for a short period. Pulmonologists monitor NTM-LD patients in 9 countries. In other countries, care also involves additional specialists: in 4 countries, infectious disease specialists, and in Ukraine, general practitioners. After successful treatment, patients are monitored in two-thirds of countries. Conclusions: The notable heterogeneity in the clinical management of NTM-LD across European countries underscores the need for further studies to define best-practice approaches.