Haemophilus influenzae oral vaccination for preventing acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are serious conditions in which patients are predisposed to viral and bacterial infections resulting in potentially fatal acute exacerbations. COPD is defined as a lung disease characterised by obstruction to lung airflow that interferes with normal breathing. Antibiotic therapy has not been particularly useful in eradicating bacteria such as non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) because they are naturally occurring flora of the upper respiratory tract in many people.

A retrospective multicenter study of the Artelon® carpometacarpal joint implant.

Background: This study aims to evaluate patient outcomes associated with use of the Artelon® Spacer for the treatment of arthritis of the carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) of the thumb.

Methods: Patients with Eaton stage I, II, or III carpometacarpal (CMC) joint arthritis and disabling pain that had failed conservative treatment were evaluated at 12, 36, and 48 months postsurgery for changes in pinch, patient satisfaction, pain, range of motion, grip strength, grind test, operative time, and X-ray evidence of subsidence.

Results: Complete data was available for 46 subjects and 49 thumbs.

Measurement of airway ion transport assists the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.

The nasal potential difference (PD) demonstrates the increased Na absorption and decreased Cl secretion typically found in cystic fibrosis (CF). It provides useful information for diagnostic purposes and measures the effect of new treatments on the ion transport defects found in CF. This study summarizes the nasal PD results in the respiratory tract of different groups of subjects, examines the responses in squamous epithelia and evaluates new ways to consider nasal PD results.

Impact of different chloride and glucose solutions on nasal potential difference.

Introduction: The nasal potential difference (nasal PD) technique can provide useful diagnostic information and can be used to assess the physiological effect of new treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF). In preparation for multi center trials of new CF treatments, many groups worldwide have sought to standardize the protocol, but subtle differences in solution composition remain. This article has compared the effect of different chloride and glucose concentrations on the PD.

Motion and morphology of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint.

Purpose: To determine the variability in the flexion/extension motion of the thumb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint in a normal volunteer population and to determine any correlation between the shape of the thumb metacarpal head, gender, age, thumb interphalangeal (IP) joint range of motion (ROM), and thumb MCP joint ROM in a population of fresh-frozen cadaver arms.

Methods: The ROM of the thumb MCP joints of 100 volunteers (200 thumbs) was measured. The thumb MCP joints of 70 fresh-frozen cadaver arms were examined.

Head-first versus feet-first sliding: a comparison of speed from base to base.

Background: Two basic baseball sliding techniques, feet-first and head-first, are taught at all levels of play. Because of the risk for injury to the upper extremities and the cervical spine during head-first sliding, it is potentially more dangerous than feet-first sliding. There is an assumption among coaches that head-first sliding is more aggressive and faster, but there has been no scientific study to prove this claim.