Nihon Kokyūki Gakkai zasshi = the journal of the Japanese Respiratory Society
-
Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai Zasshi · Dec 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial[Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) burden in Japan--confronting COPD Japan survey].
To grasp the burden and management status of COPD in Japan, a large telephone survey was conducted. In initial screening 400 individuals > or =45 years were identified as either having been given a diagnosis of COPD or fulfilling criteria for their respiratory-related symptoms and smoking history (baseline population) and they were recruited for a detailed investigation (interview sample). They were asked about demographic information, exacerbation, impact of COPD on daily life, and management and treatment. ⋯ It was confirmed that proportions of a current smoker in the COPD (35.4%) and non-COPD (35.6%) groups were almost at the same level. The use of inhaled bronchodilators, recommended by guidelines in 157 treated subjects, was 16% or less, whereas respiratory conditions affected daily activities in 70% of all the subjects. In conclusion, COPD in Japanese subjects significantly affects daily life yet is undiagnosed; there is a need to improve COPD diagnosis and management by general practitioners through disseminating guidelines for diagnosis, management, and prevention of COPD in Japan.
-
Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai Zasshi · Dec 2007
Case Reports[A case of airway-limiting type relapsing polychondritis].
A 59-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for chronic cough and myalgia. Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and bronchial asthma were first diagnosed, and she was prescribed 15 mg/day prednisolone. PMR improved immediately. ⋯ RP was diagnosed by the modified criteria of Damiani and the histology confirmed degeneration of the tracheal cartilage. She was treated by high dose corticosteroids, and her symptoms improved. This case report emphasizes the need to consider the possibility of RP as a cause of chronic cough or intractable asthma.
-
Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai Zasshi · Dec 2007
Case Reports[A case of acute eosinophilic pneumonia that developed after changing cigarette brands].
A 20-year-old man visited a clinic with high fever and a dyspnea. The chest X-ray film and CT showed multiple patchy ground glass opacities in all lung fields with thickened interlobular septa and bilateral pleural effusions. ⋯ His symptoms improved after the administration of methylprednisolone. This case suggested that the presence of a filter or a difference in ingredients, or both, between brands of cigarette might contribute to the development of acute eosinophilic pneumonia.