Acute Vasoreactivity Testing and Outcomes in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Call for Increased Testing.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has a progressive, unremitting clinical course. Vasoreactivity testing (VdT) during right heart catheterisation (RHC) identifies a subgroup with excellent long-term response to calcium channel blockade (CCB). Reporting on these patients is limited.

Smoking prevalence increases following Canterbury earthquakes.

Background: A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Canterbury in September 2010. This earthquake and associated aftershocks took the lives of 185 people and drastically changed residents' living, working, and social conditions.

Empyema and psoas abscess in a previously undiagnosed diabetic patient.

A 48-year-old man presented with a 2-month history of polyuria, polydypsia, chest pain, fever, cough and extreme weight loss. He was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis and investigations revealed widespread infection with an empyema complicated by bronchopleural fistula, and iliopsoas, suprapubic and periarticular abscesses. Streptococcus milleri was cultured from all sites.

Natural history of glucose intolerance in patients with cystic fibrosis: ten-year prospective observation program.

Objective: To determine prospectively the long-term natural history of glucose homeostasis in adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Study Design: Between 1996 and 2005, a total of 971 modified oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) were performed in 329 patients with CF without recognized CF-related diabetes (CFRD). Patients were classified as having normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), CFRD without fasting hyperglycemia (FH), or CFRD with FH.

Prevalence of dyslipidemia in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Background: A high fat calorie diet is advocated for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) however the lipid profiles of individuals with CF, including those with CF-related diabetes (CFRD), are not well studied.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of adult CF patients attending St Michael's Hospital between January 2005 and December 2007.

Results: 334 patients (77% pancreatic insufficient (PI)) were included in the study.

Interference of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-containing inhalers with measurements of volatile compounds using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry.

Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) is a sensitive technique capable of measuring volatile compounds (VCs) in complex gas mixtures in real time; it is now being applied to breath analysis. We investigated the effect of inhalers containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) on the detection and measurement of haloamines in human breath. SIFT-MS mass scans (MS) and selected ion monitoring (SIM) scans were performed on three healthy non-smoking volunteers before and after inhalation of the following medications: Combiventtrade mark metered-dose inhaler (MDI) (CFC-containing); Ventolintrade mark MDI (CFC-free); Atroventtrade mark MDI (CFC-free), Beclazonetrade mark MDI (CFC-containing); Duolintrade mark nebuliser.

Heathrow to ICU direct.

We present the case of a witnessed massive pulmonary embolism (PE) resulting in pulseless electrical activity (PEA) following a long-haul flight. Our patient was successfully treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and thrombolysis in the Emergency Department at Christchurch Hospital and went on to complete her honeymoon in New Zealand.