[The prevalence of respiratory symptoms, bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis (simple and obstructive) in a representative sample of the adult rural population].

A representative sample of an adult population living in a rural area (1001 adult subjects aged 18 and above) was submitted to the ECHRS standardised questionnaire (administrated by interview) and performed lung function tests (ventilatory). The most frequent respiratory symptoms were chronic cough (especially in males and smokers) and intermittent dyspnoea (in females more prevalent than in males). All symptoms showed a higher frequency after 50 years.

[A comparative study of pulmonary elasticity and diffusion through the alveolocapillary membrane in major collagenoses with lung involvement].

Unlabelled: We studied 60 patients with collagen-vascular diseases with pulmonary manifestations (SLE-25; SSc-13; mixed connective tissue disease-12; RA-6; PD-DM-3; ankylosing spondylitis-1), 54 females and 6 males, mean age 42.4 +/- 9.9 years.

[The prevalence of bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and COBP in representative samples of the adult population].

In order to organize the management of asthma bronchiale and chronic bronchitis, in our country, it is compulsory to know the prevalence of these diseases in the autochthonous population. The ECRHS questionnaire (by interview) and lung function tests were applied in three random population samples aged by 18 years and over. The samples were selected from the electoral rolls and coming from three different economic and geographic regions of our country.

Pulmonary mechanics in patients with asthma bronchiale in symptom-free interval.

Pulmonary and airway mechanics were assessed in 30 patients with asthma bronchiale during a symptom-free interval, and with normal spirometry. Static expiratory pressure-volume (PV) curves and maximum expiratory flow-volume curves were obtained, and maximum flow-static recoil (MFSR) curves were drawn-up. In 11 patients elastic pressures were significantly lower than normal at all lung volumes, but the slope of the PV curve was normal; the loss in lung elastic recoil was not associated with an increase in lung volume, suggesting that surface forces acting in the alveoli may be responsible for the elastic abnormality.

[The clenbuterol treatment of patients with the chronic obstructive syndrome].

We have studied the effect of a new long acting bronchodilator: CLENBUTEROL, in 10 patients suffering from chronic obstructive diseases. All patients received 1 tablet of Clenbuterol, then we measured the following parameters in each patient, 2 and 6 hours after the drug administration: VC (vital capacity), FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in the first second of forced expiration), FEV1 x 100/VC, Raw (airways resistance), RV (residual volume). In all patients, excepting one of them, we registered a modification of all or some of the parameters 2 hours after drug administration.

[Functional study of the respiratory muscles in patients with diffuse interstitial pneumopathies (DIP)].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the function of the respiratory muscles in patients with diffuse interstitial lung diseases (DILD) by measuring the maximal static inspiratory (MIPS) and expiratory (MEPS) pressures and to find out a possible relationship between these pressures and some parameters of the respiratory function of the lung. The battery of functional tests consisted in: lung volumes, flow rates, lung elasticity and arterial partial pressure of oxygen at rest and on exercise. MIPS and MEPS were measured using the Black and Hyatt method.

[The effects of corticotherapy by inhalation on the pulmonary functional parameters in bronchial asthma patients].

The study followed the effect of long term high doses of inhalational corticotherapy (ICT) in bronchial asthma patients. The studied group included 31 adults with confirmed bronchial asthma, 21 corticoid-dependent cases, which were submitted to ICT with 1000 mg beclometasone dipropionate (BDP) given daily during one year. The evolution was monitored by clinical and functional controls at 2-4 weeks (clinically: presence and severity of the symptoms: dyspnoea, cough, bronchial secretion by a score system; functionally: spirography, MEVS, body plethysmography-RV, SGaw, flux-volume curves, MEF50).

[The effect of a single dose of 50 micrograms of salmeterol (Serevent, Glaxo) on pulmonary functional parameters].

The study aimed at estimating the acting duration of salmeterol (Serevent, Glaxo), a long-term beta 2-agonist bronchodilator, when given in a single dose (50 micrograms). Two flow rates (FEV1, MEF50) the overall airways resistance to flow (Raw), and intrathoracic gas volume (ITGV) were measured at 15 minutes, then every two hours, up to 12 hours after salmeterol administration, in 8 asthma patients with ample reversible obstructive ventilation disfunction. Lung function parameters were quickly improved, and remained at higher values than the initial ones even at 12 hours after drug administration, the bronchodilating effect being of a similar amplitude for Raw, ITGV and MEF50, which suggests a favorable answer both in the whole bronchial tree and the peripheral airways segment.

[Clinico-functional changes during inhalational corticotherapy (beclomethasone dipropionate) in children with severe forms of bronchial asthma].

In 14 children with corticoid-dependent severe forms of bronchial asthma, inhaled corticotherapy with beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) was administered for 6 months. Pulmonary functional investigations were performed before, at 1 as well as 6 months from treatment start. Functional pulmonary tests included lung volume and flow measurements.

[Effectiveness of salbutamol powder (Ventodisk Glaxo) compared to dosed aerosols (sultanol)].

The study deals with the effect of salbutamol powder (Ventodisk) administered with Diskhaler device comparatively to salbutamol dosed aerosols. The analysis of PEF variations on morning and evening in a group of patients unable to use correctly the dosed aerosols leads to the conclusion that salbutamol powder succeeds in a higher effect since the administration by Diskhaler is far easier.

[Pulmonary involvement in scleroderma].

The paper deals with 3 cases of sclerodermia with pulmonary determinations detected by clinical, radiological, functional and histopathological means, of diffuse interstitial fibrosis type. The association with bronchopulmonary cancer is pointed out in one case only.

Clinical management of bronchial asthma with inhaled high-dose beclomethasone dipropionate (Beclomet 250--Orion).

The efficacy of inhaled high-dose beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) in intrinsic and cortico-dependent asthma was studied in 12 asthmatics (3 males and 9 females), average age 39 years (range 17-62 years), with a mean duration of the disease of 9 years (range 2-20 years). The patients were instructed to use one actuation (250 micrograms), three times daily or two actuations three times daily in severe cases in which dyspnoea persisted during the intake of oral corticosteroids. The results during the 6 month follow-up period were: Clinical: dyspnoea, wheeze and cough disappeared or diminished, oral administration of corticosteroids stopped or the daily dose was reduced, the intake of beta-agonists decreased; Functional: after 2-4 weeks, in almost all cases, the base line values of FEV 1.

[The value of the spirographic examination in the follow-up with time of the lung functional states in children with bronchial asthma].

28 Children with bronchial asthma, aged 6-18 years, were followed up for varying time intervals, between 3 months and over 5 years. In the cases studied, 7-8 functional tests were used under different clinical conditions: asymptomatic, manifested clinical form of the bronchial asthma, crisis of expiratory dyspnea in various severeness degrees. For an easy use of the method in the pediatric network, the lung functional investigation consisted only of spirographic examination (CV (vital capacity), VEMS (max.

[The time variations in pulmonary functional parameters in children with bronchial asthma].

28 children with bronchial asthma, between 6 and 18 years old, were followed by a varied period of time - 3 months - 5 years. 7-8 functional tests were carried out. The cases were studied in different clinical phases: asymptomatic, manifest, crisis of bronchial asthma.

[Pulmonary functional criteria for evaluating the evolution of diffuse interstitial pneumopathy under treatment].

It was studied the variation of the pulmonary volumes, of the gaseous transfer through the alveolocapillary membrane and of the indications of pulmonary elasticity on 40 patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease (PID), examined at intervals of 3-6 months, for 2-3 years during the treatment. The levels of the pulmonary elasticity parameters have signaled more frequently the modification (improvement or worsening) of the pulmonary functional state than those of the pulmonary volumes or of the gaseous transfer. Hence the proposal of including the tests for elastic recoil within the ensemble of pulmonary functional investigations through which are studied the effects of the treatment prescribed in PID.

[The relation of severe obstructive disorders to ventilation found in young patients with bronchitis and bronchopulmonary diseases in childhood].

Of the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COLD) and severe obstructive syndrome, 39 whose age was under 40 were selected. In 23 of them, the anamnesis revealed bronchopulmonary affections in childhood, that required admission into the hospital (19 were non-smokers). Of the rest of 16 patients, 14 were hard smokers that started to smoke before the age of 14.

Pulmonary mechanics in patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease and normal lung volume.

Static expiratory pressure-volume curves obtained in 20 patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease and lung volume within normal ranges (i.e. in patients in an early stage of the disease) showed different patterns of abnormal lung elastic recoil: 1) P-V curves with normal shape but shifted to the right, which suggest an overdistension of a reduced number of functioning alveoli ("lung shrinkage") and 2) flattened P-V curves (i.