Epidemiological trends of respiratory tract pathogens detected via mPCR in Australian adult patients before COVID-19.

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are a major global health burden due to their high morbidity and mortality. This retrospective study described the epidemiology of respiratory pathogens in adults over a 5-year period at an Australian tertiary healthcare network.

Methods: All multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction respiratory samples taken between the 1st of November 2014 and the 31st of October 2019 were included in this study.

Lane-Hamilton syndrome.

The co-existence of idiopathic hemosiderosis and celiac disease is Lane-Hamilton Syndrome. This is a rare condition with only a few dozen cases reported to date. Its clinical presentation typically involves hemoptysis that can be life-threatening in the acute phase.

A case of extreme carboxyhaemoglominemia due to vaping.

Acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is known to cause neurological, metabolic and cardiorespiratory sequalae. However, data on chronic CO exposure are scant, particularly in the context of vaping, which recent literature suggests may be a greater source of CO than tobacco cigarette smoking. During a series of admissions at the time of vaping, our patient repeatedly presented with significant CO poisoning and developed pulmonary arterial hypertension with resultant high-output right heart failure.