[Bacterial colonization after applying an educational program: A quasi-experimental study].

Introduction: Educational interventions can raise awareness and understanding in population groups and may help to achieve changes in behavior.

Objective: To determine if the educational handwashing program applied to high-school students reduces the colonization of infectious bacteria on the hands.

Methods: A non-randomized quasi-experimental study was carried out using consecutive sampling of the students of the last year of high-school who were divided into an intervention group and a control group.

Long-term augmentation therapy with alpha-1 antitrypsin in an MZ-AAT severe persistent asthma.

A young Caucasian female with severe bronchial asthma and Alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, MZ phenotype, experienced a quick and severe limitation of her physical capacity, which negatively affected her psychological state and social life, though she was under a strong antiasthmatic treatment. Given her declining health status and the significant chronic corticoid administration-related side-effects (including high reduction of muscle mass and bone density), a clinical trial with commercial intravenous AAT was proposed by the patient's doctors, and accepted by the Spanish Ministry of Health, although it this therapy was not approved for MZ phenotypes yet. This new therapy quickly stopped lung function decline rate, dramatically reduced the number of hospital admissions of the patient, suppressed the oral administration of prednisone, reversed the corticosteroid-related health adverse effects, significantly improving her quality of life.

Alpha1-antitrypsin replacement therapy controls fibromyalgia symptoms in 2 patients with PI ZZ alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency.

Two Spanish sisters with alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency and fibromyalgia (FM) started AAT replacement therapy with commercial alpha1-antitrypsin infusions in 1992. They both experienced a rapid, progressive, and constant control of their FM symptoms during the next 6 years (1992-98). However, in 1998, treatment of both patients was affected by the worldwide commercial shortage of AAT replacement therapy; replacement therapy infusions were halted for about 4-6 consecutive months every year for 5 years.