BACKGROUND Glutaraldehyde is the best disinfectant for fibreoptic endoscopes. It is also used in the processing of x ray films. A number of studies have reported eye, nose, and respiratory symptoms in exposed workers. Three individual case reports of occupational asthma in endoscopy workers and a radiographer have also been published. We describe a further seven cases of occupational asthma due...

The purpose of this investigation was to study factors of importance for the degree of bronchial responsiveness and, furthermore, to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of a bronchial challenge test with histamine for the diagnosis of asthma in 495 randomly selected children and adolescents, aged 7-16 yrs, from Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet. Detailed history about allergic s...

OBJECTIVE To assess the modern morbidity of hemoptysis and the contribution of therapeutic bronchial artery embolization to its management. METHODS Medical record review of patients admitted for the treatment of hemoptysis from January 1991 to November 1995 and of patients who had therapeutic bronchial artery embolization from June 1986 to August 1995. Hemoptysis was labeled major or minor. ...

BACKGROUND Essential hyperhidrosis is characterized by overactivity of the sympathetic fibers passing through the upper-dorsal ganglia (second and third thoracic ganglia [D2-D3]), and the treatment of choice is video-assisted thoracoscopy sympathectomy. Alterations in cardiopulmonary function after treatment have been reported. STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate cardiopulmonary function impairment a...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To examine the baseline factors influencing the occurrence and magnitude of immediate- and late-phase responses in asthmatic patients after an allergen-induced bronchial provocation test (A-BPT). DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis in a homogenous group of 31 mild, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus-allergic patients with asthma. SETTING Allergy Department, Hospital Virgen del Camin...

Intermittent airflow limitation, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), airway inflammation and remodelling are key pathophysiological components of bronchial asthma [1]. BHR, an abnormal increase in airflow limitation following exposure to a stimulus, is present in almost all patients with clinically current asthma. Furthermore, patients with more severe asthma have more responsive airways than ...

The mechanisms underlying water-induced bronchoconstriction are still not fully understood. Cholinergic reflexes and mast cell mediator release are currently believed to play an important pathogenetic role. In order to evaluate the relative contribution of each of these mechanisms, we studied the effect of ipratropium bromide (80 micrograms), a muscarinic antagonist, and sodium cromoglycate (20...

BACKGROUND Although sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has been demonstrated to be a safe and efficient treatment in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR), there is little evidence on the efficacy of SLIT with house-dust-mite (HDM) extract in children with isolated perennial AR. OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of HDM-SLIT in children with isolated allergic...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate various methods for studying the perception of dyspnea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a new parameter, the change in Borg scale rating, and others already in use: the linear regression slope and the application of Stevens' law to the response perception curve--ie change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (delta FEV1)--change in dyspnea (delta dy...