[Peripheral muscle dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Although primarily a disease of the lungs, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) associates systemic manifestations and comorbidities. The skeletal muscles function is restricted in COPD, because of decreased endurance and strength. Skeletal muscle weakness has a great clinical importance in COPD, as it is recognized to contribute independently to poor health status, reduced quality of life and increased mortality.

[Pathophysiology and treatment of bronchectasis].

Bronchiectasis is a complex pathology which consists of some important morphopathological changes in the lumen of the bronchi that consecutively determines recurrent pulmonary infections with a diversity of germs. The repeated episodes of infection are associated with chronic colonization of the respiratory system with certain pathogen microorganisms and play an important role in the maintenance of the chronic inflammatory syndrome, as well as the decline of the pulmonary function. This chronic inflammation is represented by a series of fisiopathological changes (the raised number of neutrophiles, macrophages, alteration in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine and adhesion molecules).

[Effect of cpap therapy on sleep quality in patients with OSAS].

Unlabelled: For an adequate analysis of sleep quality was assessed a new composed index wich objectively approached variate polisomnographic parameters. We used this new concept--sleep disturbances index-SDI in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS), before and after the beginning of CPAP therapy.

Material And Method: 41 patients were evaluated and for each one we calculated SDI score.

[Demographic, clinical and polysomnographic differences between men and women].

Unlabelled: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is still an undiagnosed disease in women, possibly due to differences in clinical presentation or a higher tolerance to symptoms. There are no studies to assess these differences in Romanian population.

Aim: we conducted this study to assess these differences (demographics, clinical presentation, and polysomnographic findings) between men and women.

[Expression of the Bax proapoptotic factor in asthmatic patients].

The alteration in the expression of the factors involved in the apoptotic mechanism of the respiratory cell epithelium of asthma patients remains an unsolved issue. The mitochondria holds a very important place in the apoptotic chain, making therefore the study of the proteins belonging to the Bcl-2 family that "controls" permeability of mitochondria's membrane extremely interesting, both for asthma as for other diseases. Our main concern in this study was to reveal the changes in expression of Bax factor at the level of the respiratory epithelium in asthma patients.

[Difficulties in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in children].

Unlabelled: The management of pulmonary tuberculosis in children in Romania is done according to ERS, WHO and IUATLD recommendations, Iaşi area being included since 1998 in the pilot study.

Material And Method: We analyzed in a descriptive and retrospective study 254 children with pulmonary tuberculosis admitted to the Iaşi Department of Pediatric Lung Diseases in the interval January 2000 - December 2005. The surveyed parameters included: treatment course, side effects of antituberculous drugs, and an assessment of the cases at the end of treatment.

[Pulmonary fibrosis induced by amiodarone--a pitfall of antiarrhytmic treatment].

Cardiac arrhythmia are one of the major causes of cardiovascular and general morbi-mortality. This is the reason for a very quick and well-guided approach. One of the most used drug for this purpose is amiodarone, due to its high therapeutic potency and despite its risk for adverse effects.

[Comparative evaluation between MB/BacT system and Löwenstein-Jensen solid culture media for mycobacterial isolation].

Tuberculosis is a public health issue in both developed and developing countries. Success of the treatment depend on the identification of patients with positive sputum smears, rapid confirmation of diagnosis in patients with negative microscopy and identification of mycobacterial strains with altered drug susceptibility. Data from the literature show that liquid culture media have a higher sensitivity for isolation mycobacteria than solid culture media as Löwenstein-Jensen.

[Diagnostic difficulties in pulmonary tuberculosis in children].

Unlabelled: Pulmonary tuberculosis in children remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality around the world.

Aim: To evaluate the difficulty of diagnosis and the epidemiological, clinical, radiological and bacteriological features of pulmonary tuberculosis in children.

Material And Method: We analyzed in a descriptive and retrospective study, 254 children with pulmonary tuberculosis hospitalized in Pulmonary Pediatric Department of Iaşi during Jan 2000 - Dec 2005.

[Up-to-date indications for surgery in pleural and pulmonary tuberculosis].

Tuberculosis is an "old disease" but still remains a threat in modern days life. Despite human and material efforts, despite the improvements in drug therapy, the treatment of tuberculosis continue to consume a great amount of health care worldwide. A certain percentage among the patients with pleuro-pulmonary tuberculosis represents failures of DOTS therapy.

[Pulmonary suppurations: etiologic profile].

The goal of this study was to determine the pathogens of the necroses of pulmonary tissue. These debilitating diseases are usually diagnosed based on clinical and radiological findings, while the more difficult microbiological diagnosis often remains uncertain. The study involved 115 patients diagnosed with lung abscess or necrotizing pneumonia; the investigations were performed in the laboratory of the "Leon Daniello" Clinical Hospital of Pneumology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in the period 1999-2000.

[Severe asthma: clinical and pathogenic aspects].

Difficult asthma is an uncommon disease (likely < 5% of total asthma). It is poorly understood and often difficult to treat. The first step is to make an accurate differential diagnosis and to avoid the most important factor, which influence the condition of the disease.

[Chronic cough--etiological diagnosis problems].

Chronic cough is a common problem in patients who visit physicians. The three most common causes of persistence cough in nonsmokers who were not taking an ACE inhibitor and who had a normal or stable chest radiograph are: postnasal drip, asthma and gastroesophageal reflux. After a viral upper respiratory infection, it takes sometimes seven weeks for bronchial airway hyperreactivity to return to normal.

[Smoking habits: a study of Iaşi school staff].

Aim: To asses the frequency of smoking habits among the school staff from Iasi.

Methods: An anonymous questionnaire with 21 items was administrated to 675 subjects (165 were male and 510 were female) who had performed periodic chest X-ray control during September 2001. The mean age of the group was 42.

[The child in tuberculosis hotbeds].

The city of Cluj-Napoca and the Cluj County, once situated in the comfortable zone of tuberculosis incidence, below the country, average, have registered a permanent and alarming increase in the both adult and child incidence of tuberculosis the last 5 years, which made us find the analysis of the phenomenon useful and constructive--having in view children mainly. Therefore we started to study all the adult bacillary hotbeds, bacteriologically confirmed in the city (150, totaling 172 cases) and having in contact between 1995-2000 with 280 children; superposing period of the 1995-2000. Antituberculosis National Programme reviewed in 1997.

[Prophylactic measures in tuberculosis hotbeds].

Starting with the premise of preventing tuberculosis by watching the epidemiological succession (earliest discovery and medical attendance of new cases, interception of the transmitting ways by annihilating the hotbed and measures taken for the contacts, strengthening the specific resistance by the BCG vaccination and sanitary education) we have analyzed the application of these measures in adult cases, both bacteriologically confirmed (M+C+, M-C+) between 1995-2000 and found in those 280 contact children after the epidemiological investigation in Cluj-Napoca. The TSS/DOTS correctly and completely applied, no matter the place of application (hospital or ambulatory treatment) has drawn to a 75% rate of healings and debacillations in adults and to over 90% in children. Chronics and deaths have been registered in adults only through unconformity to treatment (failure + abandon + lost).