The incidence of overlapping bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has increased in recent years. Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) play an important role in asthma, and the type 1 CysLT receptor (CysLT1R) is expressed by many inflammatory cells. We evaluated the effect of montelukast, a CysLT1R antagonist, on mouse models of asthma, porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE)-induced ...

SETTING South Africa reports more cases of tuberculosis (TB) than any other country, but an up-to-date, precise estimate of the costs associated with diagnosing, treating and preventing TB at the in-patient level is not available. OBJECTIVE To determine the costs associated with TB management among in-patients and to study the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at a central academic h...

About 20% of hospitalized patients with bacterial pneumonia have an accompanying pleural effusion. Parapneumonic effusions (PPE) are associated with a considerable morbidity and mortality. The main decision in managing a patient with a PPE is whether to insert a chest tube (complicated PPE). Imaging (i.e., chest radiograph, ultrasound and computed tomography) and pleural fluid analysis (i.e., p...

Postpneumonectomy empyema (PPE) is an uncommon and devastating complication of pneumonectomy, with substantial morbidity and mortality. The condition is characterized by pleural cavity infection and inflammation. This article focuses on the management of complicated and persistent PPE with a procedure called Eloesser flap placement, a type of open-window thoracostomy.

The PE and PPE (PE/PPE) multigene families of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are particularly GC-rich and share extensive homologous repetitive sequences. We hypothesized that they may undergo homologous recombination events, a mechanism rarely described in the natural evolution of mycobacteria. To test our hypothesis, we developed a specific oligonucleotide-based microarray targeting nearly all of...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To determine patterns of personal protective equipment (PPE) used by oncology nurses while handling hazardous drugs (HDs) and to assess knowledge of the 2004 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Alert and its effect on precaution use. DESIGN Descriptive, correlational. SETTING The Oncology Nursing Society 31st Annual Congress in Boston, MA, in 200...

An outbreak of avian influenza (H7N3) among poultry resulted in laboratory-confirmed disease in 1 of 103 exposed persons. Incomplete use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was associated with conjunctivitis and influenza-like symptoms. Rigorous use of PPE by persons managing avian influenza outbreaks may reduce exposure to potentially hazardous infected poultry materials.

BACKGROUND There are inconsistencies about the effects of farmworker housing and workplace conditions and use of self-protective behavior practices and personal protective equipment (PPE). OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between workplace and housing conditions and farmworker use of pesticide safety practices and PPE. METHODS This study was conducted in 4 counties in North Carolina...

BACKGROUND Although pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels are often used to distinguish between tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) and parapneumonic pleural effusion (PPE), this can be challenging as the LDH level may vary from normal to severely increased in PPE and a significantly elevated ADA is frequently measured in both conditions. In this study, w...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the initial management of pediatric parapneumonic effusion or pleural empyema (PPE/PE) with regard to length of hospital stay (LOS). METHODS Collection of pediatric PPE/PE cases using a nationwide surveillance system (ESPED) from 10/2010 to 06/2013, in all German pediatric hospitals. Inclusion of PPE/PE patients <18 years of age requiring drainage or with a PPE/PE persis...