The improved clinical course of persistent tachypnea of infancy with inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids.

Background: Persistent tachypnea of infancy (PTI) is the most common interstitial lung disease in young children. As no standardized therapeutic guidelines exist, different pharmaceuticals are used to treat PTI; inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and bronchodilators being mostly used. This observation assessed the effectiveness of bronchodilators and ICS in children with PTI enrolled in the children's interstitial lung diseases (chILD)-EU Register.

Modeling of Inhalation Profiles Through Dry Powder Inhaler in Healthy Adults and Asthma Patients As a Prerequisite for Further and Studies.

The severity of airway obstruction may affect patient's ability to perform an effective drug inhalation from a dry powder inhaler (DPI). Also, an incorrect inhalation technique may negatively affect the efficacy of asthma treatment. The aims of the study were (1) to analyze and compare inhalation profiles recorded with the use of different inhalation techniques, and thus, (2) to establish model inhalation profiles representative for healthy subjects and subjects with mild and moderate-to-severe asthma.

Blood eosinophils, FeNO and small airways dysfunction in predicting airway hyperresponsiveness in patients with asthma-like symptoms.

Purpose: In patients with suspected asthma and no airflow limitation in spirometry, methacholine challenge testing (MCT) for airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is an option of documenting variable airflow limitation. The goal of the study was to assess the ability of blood eosinophils, fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and distal airways function to discriminate patients with AHR from those with normal airway responsiveness (AR).

Methods: We analyzed baseline data from 42 participants who underwent MCT because of asthma-like symptoms and no airflow limitation in spirometry.

Inhalation Profiles Through a Dry Powder Inhaler: Relation Between Inhalation Technique and Spirometric Measures.

The understanding of the real flow profiles through a dry powder inhaler (DPI), generated by asthma patients, is a prerequisite for satisfactory drug delivery to the lungs. The aims of the study were to assess the relationship between spirometric measures and inhalation profiles through a low-resistance DPI, and to compare parameters of those profiles between optimal and suboptimal inhalation technique type. Both healthy adult volunteers and patients with asthma were included in the study.

Methacholine Challenge Testing: Comparison of FEV and Airway Resistance Parameters.

Background: A 20% reduction in the FEV is routinely used as an end point for methacholine challenge testing (MCT). Measurement of FEV is effort dependent, and some patients are not able to perform acceptable and repeatable forced expiration maneuvers. The goal of the present study was to investigate the diagnostic value of airway resistance measurement by forced oscillation technique (FOT), body plethysmography, and interrupter technique compared with the traditionally accepted standard FEV measurement in evaluating the responsiveness to methacholine during MCT.

Lung ultrasound-a new diagnostic modality in persistent tachypnea of infancy.

Lung ultrasound (LUS) has been increasingly used in diagnosing and monitoring of various pulmonary diseases in children. The aim of the current study was to evaluate its usefulness in children with persistent tachypnea of infancy (PTI). This was a controlled, prospective, cross-sectional study that included children with PTI and healthy subjects.

Methods of airway resistance assessment.

Airway resistance is the ratio of driving pressure to the rate of the airflow in the airways. The most frequent methods used to measure airway resistance are whole-body plethysmography, the interrupter technique and the forced oscillation technique. All these methods allow to measure resistance during respiration at the level close to tidal volume, they do not require forced breathing manoeuvres or deep breathing during measurement.

Clinical characteristics of 323 children with parapneumonic pleural effusion and pleural empyema due to community acquired pneumonia.

Background: An increasing incidence of parapneumonic effusion and pleural empyema (PPE/PE) in children has been found in several studies published in the last decades. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence, etiology, clinical features, treatment strategies and outcomes of PPE/PE in children treated in a referral pulmonary center in central Poland.

Material And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical, radiological and laboratory data of all children aged between 1 month and 18 years with PPE/PE due to community acquired pneumonia (CAP) between January 2002 and December 2013.

Lung ultrasound in the diagnosis and monitoring of community acquired pneumonia in children.

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is as an easily accessible, radiation-free imaging technique that might be used as a diagnostic tool in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of LUS in the diagnosis and monitoring of childhood CAP. One hundred six consecutive children aged between 1 and 213 (median 52.

Necrotizing Pneumonia and Its Complications in Children.

Necrotizing pneumonia (NP) is an emerging complication of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. This study aimed at the evaluation of etiology, clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of NP. The institutional database of children with CAP treated between April 2008 and July 2013 was searched to identify children with NP.

Anxiety, its relation to symptoms severity and anxiety sensitivity in sarcoidosis.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a chronic systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. Previous studies demonstrated that patients with sarcoidosis had high rates of depression and anxiety, and high magnitude of stressful life events. To date, however, studies have not examined the anxiety sensitivity in sarcoid patients and the relationship between psychopathology and symptom severity of sarcoidosis.

S Fas in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with sarcoidosis in relation to cigarette smoking.

Sarcoidosis is a multiorgan granulomatous disease with frequent spontaneous remission. Apoptosis is postulated to participate in the granuloma resolution. Soluble Fas (sFas) is known to inhibit Fas-induced apoptosis.

Th1/Th2/Th17‑related cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with sarcoidosis: association with smoking.

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a multiorgan granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. The predominance of Th1‑related cytokines is observed in the bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) in pulmonary sarcoidosis. Recently, Th17 cells have been postulated to be involved in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis.

[Sarcoidosis and tobacco smoking--clinical picture, diagnostic tests results and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid composition].

Unlabelled: Sarcoidosis is a multiorgan granulomatous disease of unknown aetiology. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is approved in diagnostics of sarcoidosis. The aim of the study was to assess epidemiological data, demographic status, clinical picture of sarcoidosis patients and to correlate above-mentioned findings with smoking status.