BMC pulmonary medicine
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2012
Comparative StudyReduced rhinovirus-specific antibodies are associated with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring hospitalisation.
Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are often linked to respiratory infections. However, it is unknown if COPD patients who experience frequent exacerbations have impaired humoral immunity. The aim of this study was to determine if antibodies specific for common respiratory pathogens are associated with AECOPD. ⋯ Deficient humoral immunity specific for rhinoviruses is associated with AECOPD requiring hospitalisation, and may partly explain why some COPD patients have an increased exacerbation risk following respiratory viral infections.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2012
Correlation of respiratory symptoms and spirometric lung patterns in a rural community setting, Sindh, Pakistan: a cross sectional survey.
Symptom-based questionnaires can be a cost effective tool enabling identification and diagnosis of patients with respiratory illnesses in resource limited setting. This study aimed to determine the correlation of respiratory symptoms and spirometric lung patterns and validity of ATS respiratory questionnaire in a rural community setting. ⋯ Symptoms based respiratory questionnaires are a valuable tool for screening of respiratory symptoms in resource poor, rural community setting.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2012
Over prescription of antibiotics for adult pharyngitis is prevalent in developing countries but can be reduced using McIsaac modification of Centor scores: a cross-sectional study.
Although Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) can cause bacterial pharyngitis, the most common etiology is viral; despite this viral etiology, antibiotics are commonly prescribed for this infection in industrialized countries. We investigated the prevalence of GABHS in adult pharyngitis patients from lower socioeconomic settings in Karachi, Pakistan, how often antibiotics are prescribed for pharyngitis and if appropriate agents were used in a developing world setting. Finally, we wanted to see the usefulness of modified McIsaac scores in predicting positive cultures. ⋯ Antibiotics were prescribed irrationally to adult pharyngitis patients, as most cultures were negative for bacterial infection. McIsaac modification of Centor scores related directly to culture results. We would therefore highly recommend its use to help family physicians make treatment decisions for adult pharyngitis patients.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2012
Lung function decline in relation to diagnostic criteria for airflow obstruction in respiratory symptomatic subjects.
Current COPD guidelines advocate a fixed < 0.70 FEV1/FVC cutpoint to define airflow obstruction. We compared rate of lung function decline in respiratory symptomatic 40+ subjects who were 'obstructive' or 'non-obstructive' according to the fixed and/or age and gender specific lower limit of normal (LLN) FEV1/FVC cutpoints. ⋯ This study showed that respiratory symptomatic 40+ smokers and non-smokers who show FEV1/FVC values below the fixed 0.70 cutpoint but above their age/gender specific LLN value did not show accelerated FEV1 decline, in contrast with those showing FEV1/FVC values below their LLN cutpoint.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudySafety and efficacy of fluticasone/formoterol combination therapy in adolescent and adult patients with mild-to-moderate asthma: a randomised controlled trial.
This study investigated the efficacy and safety of a new asthma therapy combining fluticasone propionate and formoterol fumarate (fluticasone/formoterol; flutiform®), administered twice daily (b.i.d.) via a single aerosol inhaler, compared with its individual components administered separately and placebo, in patients with mild-to-moderate asthma. ⋯ Fluticasone/formoterol had a good safety and tolerability profile and showed statistically superior efficacy for the three co-primary endpoints compared to fluticasone, formoterol, and placebo, in adolescents and adults with mild-to-moderate asthma. EudraCT number: 2007-002866-36; US NCT number: NCT00393991.