Epidemiological profile of acute respiratory distress syndrome patients: A tertiary care experience.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is seen in critically ill patients. Its etiological spectrum in India is expected to be different from that seen in western countries due to the high prevalence of tropical infections.

Aim: To study the epidemiological profile of ARDS patients.

Comparison of oral montelukast with oral zileuton in acute asthma: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Leukotriene modifiers have an established role in the management of chronic asthma but their role in acute asthma is still under evaluation.

Objective: To study and compare the effects of oral montelukast with oral zileuton in acute asthma.

Materials And Methods: This study included 120 asthmatics and was conducted from September 2012 to March 2014.

Acebrophylline-induced angioedema.

A 53-year-old woman visited her physician complaining of acute breathlessness and productive cough. Her medications included budesonide and formoterol for asthma, fixed-dose combination aspirin 150 mg + clopidogrel 75 mg + atorvastatin 20 mg for ischemic heart disease. History revealed that she had allergic rhinitis and was hypersensitive to penicillins.

BALToma masquerading as pulmonary tuberculosis.

A 53-year-old man with a significant smoking history presented with chronic cough, exertional breathlessness, intermittent fever, weight loss and anorexia. A review of his past medical records revealed he was diagnosed to have sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis 5 years earlier, for which he had received multiple courses of incomplete antitubercular therapy. This time, though he was primarily suspected to have active pulmonary tuberculosis, lack of microbiological evidence and further investigations including histopathological evaluation of lung lesions confirmed a diagnosis of Marginal zone B cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALToma/BALToma).

Tuberculous lymphadenitis and borderline leprosy in a patient with isolated unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia.

A 35-year-old man was diagnosed with tuberculous lymphadenitis and multibacillary borderline tuberculoid leprosy. On investigation, isolated unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia was detected and evaluation led us to conclude that the probable cause was Gilbert's syndrome. He was successfully managed by administration of chemotherapy for the treatment of both the mycobacterial infections, with no adverse effects on liver function tests.

Chryseobacterium indologenes pneumonia in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

A 42-year-old man diagnosed with gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 2 years earlier, for which he had undergone treatment, presented with expectorative cough, exertional shortness of breath and left-sided chest pain of 3 months duration. Respiratory system examination was suggestive of left-sided pneumonia with pleural effusion. Routine haemogram showed leukocytosis with high erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Ortner's syndrome.

A 42-year-old man with a significant smoking history presented with chronic expectorative cough and exertional shortness of breath with recent-onset hoarseness. Chest examination was essentially normal and cardiovascular examination was suggestive of aortic regurgitation. Ears, nose and throat evaluation showed left vocal cord palsy and CT scan revealed an aortic arch aneurysm.