Asthma and smoking: A review.

Asthma occurrence is often associated with cigarette smoking. Surprisingly, active smokers are excluded from most clinical studies. Prevalence of asthma associated with smoking appears to be similar to asthma in the general population.

[Exacerbations of asthma--precipitating factors: drugs].

Asthmatic exacerbations are sometimes triggered by medications, primarily the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS) and beta-blockers. Asthma attacks induced by NSAIDS occur rapidly and can be severe. Widal syndrome is a specific disease entity whose physiopathology remains incompletely explained.

A statement on cefazolin immediate hypersensitivity: data from a large database, and focus on the cross-reactivities.

Background: More perioperative cefazolin use has resulted in an increased risk of cefazolin-associated reactions.

Objective: The aim of this article is to study immediate reactions to cefazolin and attempt to determine possible allergic cross-reactivity with other ß-lactams using data from the Drug Allergy and Hypersensitivity Database (DAHD).

Methods: All 25 cefazolin-associated reactions in the DAHD were reviewed.

[Difficult to control severe asthma].

Difficult to control severe asthma is characterized by the persistence of inacceptable symptoms of asthma despite a continuous treatment with at least high doses of inhaled steroids and long acting bronchodilators. The diagnosis is done after a period of observation and some investigations that will allow confirm the diagnosis of asthma, eliminate alternative diagnosis and etiological forms that would be difficult to treat intrinsically (allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis, Churg and Strauss disease, chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, occupational asthma). At the end of this period devoted to diagnosis a systematic approach is set up to take care of these patients.

Preventing asthma exacerbations: what are the targets?

Exacerbations of asthma are the main cause of asthma morbidity. They induce acute respiratory failure, and sometimes death. Two immunological signals acting in synergy are necessary for inducing asthma exacerbations.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy in allergic rhinitis and asthma. Mechanisms and proof of efficacy.

Appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) has long been used in allergic rhinitis and asthma without any knowledge of its mechanisms of action or any tangible proof of its efficacy. However, from the beginning of the era of evidence-based medicine, a number of placebo-controlled studies have been published and reached a sufficient number to assess the cellular events induced by SIT and allow meta-analysis to provide guidelines based on proofs. Controlled studies and meta-analysis concerned not only subcutaneous immunotherapy but also the sublingual route, demonstrating an effect of SIT on symptoms and medication use.

Oral challenges are needed in the diagnosis of beta-lactam hypersensitivity.

Background: beta-lactams continue to remain the most commonly involved drug family in allergic drug reactions. They are often essential and there is a cost-effective and favourable risk-benefit ratio for the exploration of all suspicions of beta-lactam allergy. A firm diagnosis is always based on skin tests and sometimes on provocation tests.

[Pulmonary mucormycosis: difficulties in diagnosis and treatment].

Introduction: Mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic fungal infection due to filamentous fungi of the order Mucorales in the class Zygomycetes. Rhino-cerebral and pulmonary manifestations predominate on account of the airborn spread of the spores. Gastro-intestinal, cutaneous and disseminated disease is less common.