Occupational asbestos exposure: how to deal with suspected mesothelioma cases--the Dutch approach.

Introduction: Patients with asbestos-related diseases, such as malignant mesothelioma (MM), are not uniformly treated in Europe when they apply for compensation. In The Netherlands, the Institute of Asbestos Victims (IAV) acts on behalf of patients with a malignant mesothelioma. In the majority of cases, the diagnosis is clear but in some, uncertainty remains.

[Respiratory side-effects of drugs].

Three patients, men aged 65 and 49 and a woman of 38 years, presented with drug-induced interstitial pneumonitis due to nilutamide, bleomycin and nitrofurantoin usage respectively. The signs and symptoms of drug-induced interstitial pneumonitis occur from within several hours up to months or years after the start of treatment, and sometimes even after the cessation of treatment, and consist of a dry cough, dyspnoea, fever and crackles upon auscultation. The results of further investigations are atypical and consist of abnormalities on the X-ray or CT of the thorax and lymphocytosis in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. General and medical management with special attention to exacerbations.

The general management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma is discussed. Pathophysiological mechanisms of bronchial obstruction and inflammation are briefly described. The importance of preventive measures is emphasized.

The penetration of erythromycin into human bronchial mucosa.

1 In this paper the pharmacokinetic relation between concentrations of erythromycin in plasma and in bronchial mucosa was established. 2 Sixteen patients undergoing bronchoscopy received 1 g erythromycin by continuous infusion in 30 min. 3 Two bronchial mucosal samples were taken from each patient sometime after drug administration.