Multicentric study on the beta-blocker use and relation with exacerbations in COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently associated with chronic heart failure (CHF) or coronary artery disease (CAD). In spite of the recommendation to use beta-blockers (BB) they are likely under-prescribed to patients with concurrent COPD and heart diseases. To find out the prevalence of use of BB, 256 COPD patients were consecutively recruited by pulmonary physicians from 14 hospitals in 7 regions of Spain in their outpatient offices if they had a diagnosis of COPD, were not on long-term oxygen therapy, had CHF or CAD, and met the criteria for BB treatment.

[The importance of genotyping of strains for the evaluation and interpretation of 5 school-based epidemic outbreaks of tuberculosis].

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe 5 microepidemics of tuberculosis occurring in schools, establish the risk factors associated with the outbreaks, assess how well a concentric circles strategy for contact tracing predicts infection, and assess the usefulness of genotyping strains in the analysis of the outbreaks.

Material And Methods: The study assessed 5 epidemic outbreaks of tuberculosis using a standard contact tracing procedure. The outbreaks occurred in 2 day nurseries and 2 high schools between 1998 and 2005.