Epidemiology of respiratory diseases

IntroductionLimited data exist on the epidemiology of acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure (AHRF) in low-income countries (LICs). We sought to determine the prevalence of AHRF in critically ill adult patients admitted to a Ugandan tertiary referral hospital; determine clinical and treatment characteristics as well as assess factors associated with mortality.Materials and methodsWe conducted a prospective observational study at the Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital in Uganda. Critically ill adults who were hospitalised at the emergency department and met the criteria for AHRF (acute shortness of breath for less than a week) were enrolled and followed up for 90 days. Multivariable analyses were conducted to determine the risk factors for death.ResultsA total of 7300 patients was screened. Of these, 327 (4.5%) presented with AHRF. The majority (60 %) was male and the median age was 38 years (IQR 27–52). The mean plethysmographic oxygen saturation (SpO2) was 77.6% (SD 12.7)...

Air pollution is a major environmental risk factor. There is accumulating evidence that air pollution could induce elevated blood pressure and potentiate hypertension. Acute elevations in the outdoor air pollution levels can trigger immediate or shortly delayed increases in arterial blood pressure. Moreover, few studies suggest that short-term increases in the levels of particulate and gaseous pollutants could lead to an acute onset of hypertension. Prolonged exposure to outdoor air pollution is associated with elevated blood pressure. Furthermore, some longitudinal studies have linked long-term exposure to air pollution with the incidence of hypertension. Various components of air pollution, such as inhalable particulate matter (PM 2.5 ,PM 10 ), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ozone, have shown associations with blood pressure in some studies. The hypothesized underlying mechanisms include inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress in lungs and in systemic circulation, imbalance of autonomous nervous system, and pathologic changes in vascular endothelium. In addition to "traditional" susceptible groups such as elderly individuals or patients with chronic diseases, children and pregnant women could be especially susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution. The interplay of air pollution with the related environmental exposures, such as traffic noise and climate change, should be investigated further.

Background: An estimated half a billion people are engaged in fishing related occupations in India. Exposure to adulterated fuel exhaust is common among deep-sea fishermen, yet little is known about the potential impacts on the exposure to health. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether fuel emission exposure was associated with increased respiratory impairments among fishermen who were occupationally exposed to fuel exhaust compared to fisherman occupationally unexposed to fuel exhaust. Methods: This cross-sectional study compared the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lung function variables between 152 marine-water and 107 fresh water fishermen considering the use of fuel-driven trawlers. Data were obtained from questionnaires and computerized spirometer. Results: Fishermen exposed to trawler fuel exhaust reported more than double the number of respiratory symptoms compared to the unexposed fisherman (86·2 vs. 40·2%). They also had a significantly higher c...

Blood group distribution is a critical determinant in the planning and management of effective blood transfusion services. This study explores the distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups in Almergeb Province and examines its implications for transfusion services. Data from blood donation records, healthcare facilities, and regional demographics were analyzed to identify the prevalence of blood groups and their compatibility challenges. The findings indicate a predominance of certain blood groups, with group O being the most frequent, followed by groups A, B, and AB. Rh-positive individuals outnumber Rh-negative counterparts, consistent with global patterns. These results highlight the need for a targeted blood donation strategy to maintain an adequate supply of universal donor (O-negative) and rare blood types. The study underscores the importance of public awareness campaigns, efficient blood storage systems, and advanced cross-matching protocols to mitigate shortages and ensure equitable access to transfusion services. This analysis provides actionable insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals to optimize blood transfusion logistics, enhance emergency preparedness, and improve patient outcomes in Almergeb Province.

To investigate the epidemiology and factors associated with the severity of viral acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in children hospitalized in Manaus, Amazonas, in 2017 to 2018. Retrospective cohort study of children hospitalized at the Hospital and Emergency Room Delphina Rinaldi Abdel Aziz, in Manaus, from April 01, 2017 to August 31, 2018, with a clinical diagnosis of ALRI and nasopharyngeal aspirates positive for at least 1 respiratory virus. One hundred forty-six children aged 0.2 to 66 months (median 7 months) were included. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the disease severity classified by an adapted Walsh et al score: moderate disease, score 0-4, n = 66 (45.2%) and severe disease, score 5-7, n = 80 (54.8%). A greater number of viral ALRI cases were observed in the rainiest months. Respiratory syncytial virus was the most prevalent (n = 103, 70.3%), followed by metapneumovirus (n = 24, 16.4%), influenza virus (n = 17, 11.6%), parainfluenza virus (n = 11, 7.5%), and adenovirus (n = 4, 2.7%). Co-detections of 2 to 3 viruses were found in 12 (8.2%) patients. The presence of viral coinfection was an independent risk factor for disease severity (adjusted relative risk [RR] 1.53; 95% CI 1.10-2.14). Twelve patients (8.2%) died, all with severe disease. Risk factors for death were shock (adjusted RR 10.09; 95% CI 2.31-43.90) and need for vasoactive drugs (adjusted RR 10.63; 95% CI 2.44-46.31). There was a higher incidence of viral ALRI in Manaus in the rainy season. Respiratory syncytial virus was the most prevalent virus. The presence of viral coinfection was an independent risk factor for disease severity.

observed in the UK and Finland. Rates were also substantially higher in males with gender disparity increasing across the period. Interpretation Reported IPF mortality appears to be increasing across the EU, however there is substantial variation in mortality trends and overall reported mortality rates between countries. There are likely to be differences in coding practices and reporting levels between countries, particularly with specialist knowledge and equipment required to diagnose IPF.

Microbiota de aparelhos de ar condicionado das áreas críticas de hospitais públicos e particulares e sua relação com as infecções hospitalares Microorganisms of air conditioning devices of critical areas of public and particular hospitals and its relation with the cross infections Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar a microbiota de aparelhos de ar condicionado das áreas críticas dos hospitais públicos e particulares e traçar relações desta com as Infecções Hospitalares (IH). As coletas foram feitas com swab em um centímetro quadrado dos filtros e paletas dos condicionadores de ar nos hospitais públicos e particulares. Foram encontrados vários microrganismos patogênicos Escherichia coli; Fonsecaea sp., Penicillium sp., Candida sp. e Aspergillus sp. Vários destes microrganismos estão nas listas da ANVISA de microrganismos causadores de IH. Os filtros apresentaram no total mais UFC/cm2 de microrganismos do que as paletas.

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia is one of the most common Hospital acquired infections and is associated with increased mortality rate. Prevention of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is very important aspect while caring for mechanically ventilated patient. The nurse’s role in prevention of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia is very significant as they provide care to the critically ill patient round the clock. The study was conducted to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme.

Este trabalho apresenta resultados da pesquisa de contaminação dos filtros de condicionadores de ar instalados no setor residencial da cidade de Manaus. A pesquisa foi realizada no âmbito do projeto CAEMA (Condicionadores de Ar, Energia e Meio Ambiente) que consistiu na troca de aparelhos de ar condicionado ineficientes por eficientes na zona urbana da cidade. Dos 500 condicionadores de ar retirados do sistema pelo projeto, foram selecionados 50 filtros (10%) para a análise de contaminação biológica, tendo sido identificada uma enorme variedade de agentes prejudiciais à saúde humana, entre bactérias e fungos. A bactéria mais vezes identificada foi a Staphylococcus sp e o fungo mais freqüente foi o Penicillium sp. Também foi possível verificar, por meio de entrevistas telefônicas junto a 37 usuários desses equipamentos, a grande incidência de sintomas associados a problemas de insuficiente qualidade de ar nos ambientes residenciais. Circunstâncias que motivaram a oportunidade desta p...

Os fungos disseminam-se por diferentes formas, sendo a principal pela corrente de ar, podendo ser encontrados em outros ambientes, tais como: ar, ar condicionado, sendo estes denominados anemófilos, vegetais, água e em solos. Fungos oportunistas podem causar complicações clínicas graves em pacientes imunocomprometidos, por esse motivo o estudo tem como objetivo analisar e identificar quais espécies serão encontradas nas unidades de tratamento intensivo, de um hospital público na cidade de Cuiabá, MT. Realizou-se a coleta de ar com auxílio de um amostrador de ar com a placa de Petri acoplada contendo o meio Ágar Sabouraud com cloranfenicol. Para a identificação das espécies fúngicos foi realizada por meio de observação de aspectos macro e micromorfológicos por meio da técnica de Rideel. As coletas foram realizadas em setembro de 2018. Os gêneros encontrados com maior frequência foram Aspergillus spp, sendo as espécies Aspergillus fumigatus, A.niger, A. terreus, A. flavus, e gênero Penicillium spp. A diversidade e a frequência desses fungos coletados tornam-se preocupantes, visto que este ambiente deveria se livres de contaminação, devido à exposição de pacientes imunodeprimidos.

Background: Social inequalities (e.g., poverty and low level of education) generate inequalities in health. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the relationships between indicators of social inequalities and the frequency of respiratory symptoms, asthma, and bronchitis in children. Material and Methods: In 2019, an epidemiological cross-sectional study on 3237 students from elementary schools in Silesia Voivodships (South Poland) was conducted. The students’ parents completed a questionnaire based on the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Social inequalities in the children’s families were determined according to parents’ education and professional status (working vs. unemployed), self-assessment of economic status, and housing conditions. To determine the influence of social factors on the occurrence of asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory symptoms, the odds ratio (OR) was calculated. Results: Children living in apartments with traces of mold ha...

The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, or preparation of the manuscript. HIGHLIGHTS  Patients with coexistent heart failure (HF)-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are frequently unable to sustain prolonged exercise due to intolerable dyspnea  In the present study, bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) successfully decreased the operating lung volumes and improved exertional dyspnea and endurance exercise tolerance in these patients  The consequent increase in exercise capacity with BiPAP might allow these patients to train at higher exercise intensities thereby deriving greater benefit from cardiopulmonary rehabilitation

Background: In Iran, cancers are known as the second leading cause of death, among which respiratory system cancers are particularly important because lung cancer is the second most common cause of death in this country. This study aimed to estimate the crude and age-standardized mortality and its trends during 9 years in the Northern city of Iran, Babol. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all the recorded deaths due to respiratory system cancers in Babol during the years 2013-2021 on the Classification of Causes of Deaths and Death Registration System of Babol University of Medical Sciences were taken into consideration, and the population estimate was based on the latest census. Finally, the crude and age-standardized rates of mortality and trends of cancer incidents were calculated. Results: In general, 393 deaths with an overall mean age of 67.8±3.9 years have happened due to respiratory system cancers. The crude and standardized rates of respiratory system cancers increased from 6.5 and 5.5 per hundred thousand people in 2013 to 9.1 and 7.8 per hundred thousand people in 2021, respectively. With each decade in age, their trends increased significantly in men (p=0.024) and remained constant in women (p=0.262). In examining the trend of respiratory system cancers, we found an increasing trend for lung cancer and a constant trend for larynx and oropharynx cancers. There was also a decreasing trend for hypopharyngeal cancer. Conclusions: The age-standardized rate and trend of respiratory system cancers are increasing. Therefore, it is important to prevent their prevalence by reducing the risk factors and increasing the general awareness of risks and timely diagnosis.

COPD are associated with an increased load on the diaphragm leading to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the subsequent cellular damages and death. The pathological alterations inducted by ROS in the diaphragm during oxygen breathing are not known. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of hyperoxia exposure (HP) on free radicals (FR) accumulation in relation to the ultrastructural pathological alterations in the diaphragm. Twenty adult male rats were randomly assigned to two groups; control (C); and hyperoxia (HP). Animals of the HP were breathing 100% O 2 for 72 hr continuously. Both serum and diaphragm tissue supernatant analysis showed significantly higher (p<0.05) FR in HP group, as compared with control group. Ultrastructure examinations showed that HP resulted in variety of pathological alterations in the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum that were associated with disarrangement of myofibrils, loss of I-banding for myosin, focal myolysis of the myofilaments, complete fragmentation of myosin, tearing of myofilamments from Z plates and tearing of the endothelial cell of the interstitial blood capillaries. Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that hyperoxia-induced acceleration ROS formation damaged the contractile apparatuses of the diaphragm and related endomembrane proteins that could involve intracellular calcium channels proteins.

Microbiota de aparelhos de ar condicionado das áreas críticas de hospitais públicos e particulares e sua relação com as infecções hospitalares Microorganisms of air conditioning devices of critical areas of public and particular hospitals and its relation with the cross infections Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar a microbiota de aparelhos de ar condicionado das áreas críticas dos hospitais públicos e particulares e traçar relações desta com as Infecções Hospitalares (IH). As coletas foram feitas com swab em um centímetro quadrado dos filtros e paletas dos condicionadores de ar nos hospitais públicos e particulares. Foram encontrados vários microrganismos patogênicos Escherichia coli; Fonsecaea sp., Penicillium sp., Candida sp. e Aspergillus sp. Vários destes microrganismos estão nas listas da ANVISA de microrganismos causadores de IH. Os filtros apresentaram no total mais UFC/cm2 de microrganismos do que as paletas.

The hospital-acquired infections are among major causes of death and increased morbidity in developed and developing countries resulting to significant burden both for patients as well as public health. Drug resistance is an emerging issue in modern health care. Through this study it was targeted to evaluate, which of the major agents is responsible for infections in the different areas of the body, and which age group and gender are most affected. In 2019, a cross sectional study was carried out among 121 respondents (patients admitted in Cardiac Surgery Department in United Hospital Dhaka, Bangladesh) to assess microbial infections among the admitted patients. The present study was targeted to evaluate, which of the major agents is responsible for infections in the different areas of the body, and which age group and gender are most affected. The study results shows 33.1% aged 61-70 years. 50.4% of normal body weight. Multidrug resistance was found in 3 out of 4 type of organisms. Namely Candida. Klebsiella, Pseudomonas and E coli. The only significant correlation was found between advancement of age with growth of Klebsiella. Microbial infections and their antimicrobial sensitivity profile were assessed by frequency and significance level of p value <0.05 was used for statistical analysis (considered as significance), unless specifically mentioned. the 2 nd and 3 rd generation Cephalosporin was resistant in 100% of Klebsiella and Pseudomonas positive culture. The only significant correlation was found between advancement of age with growth of Klebsiella. The study found that alarming rate of multidrug resistance present in the organism found in various culture media. This may potentially be useful for future protocol generation and safety measurement applied to patient admitted in cardiac surgery department. All data were analysed using SPSS software versions of 16.0 (SPSS Inc.

The reproducibility of answers to childhood respiratory symptom questions was investigated by administering two childhood respiratory symptom questionnaires twice, with a one month interval, to the same population of Dutch school children. The questionnaires were completed by the parents of 410 children from 6-12 yrs old. One questionnaire was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The other questionnaire was developed for use by school health services and was based mainly on the American Thoracic Society (ATS) questionnaire for respiratory symptoms in childhood. It was called the Child Health Care (CHC) Questionnaire. Half of the parents received a questionnaire in which the WHO questions came first on both occasions, the other half a questionnaire in which the CHC questionnaire came first on both occasions. The reproducibility of the answers was assessed by calculating Cohen&#39;s Kappa, a chance-corrected measure of association. Questions about &quot;wheeze&quot;, &quo...

UTIs each year globally [14]. Urinary surgery or an exam of your urinary tract that involves medical instruments can both increase risk of developing a urinary tract infection. Materials and Method Design A descriptive type of cross-sectional study design was used. All the data were collected through structured format in questionnaires. The sample sizes were statistically desirable, feasible and satisfactory and were approached randomly. The recording system was almost adequate and no other persons were engaged in collecting the data except the researcher so that the quality of the overall data was reliable.

Wheezing at preschool age (i.e., before the age of six) is common, occurring in about 30% of children before the age of three. In terms of health care burden, preschool children with wheeze show double the rate of access to the emergency department and five times the rate of hospital admissions compared with school-age asthmatics. The consensus document aims to analyse the underlying mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of preschool wheezing and define the risk factors (i.e., allergy, atopy, infection, bronchiolitis, genetics, indoor and outdoor pollution, tobacco smoke exposure, obesity, prematurity) and the protective factors (i.e., probiotics, breastfeeding, vitamin D, influenza vaccination, non-specific immunomodulators) associated with the development of the disease in the young child. A multidisciplinary panel of experts from the Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy, addressed twelve key questions regarding managing preschool wheezing. Clinical questions have been formulated by the...

Introduction: Diphtheria is an important disease in children that could lead to fatal disease. East Java Province was declared to have Diphtheria outbreak in 2011 with increasing morbidity and mortality, including on Soetomo Hospital. Our paper aimed to describe the profi le of diphtheria cases in children admitted at dr Sutomo Hospital. Method: This descriptive study reviewed all medical records of diphtheritic patients admitted to Dr.

Introduction: Mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be associated with physical inactivity, exercise limitation, and impaired health related quality of life, because of a combination of deconditioning, dyspnea, and reduced peripheral muscle mass. Although the benefits of exercise training (ET) in counteracting these consequences are well established in moderate-to-very-severe COPD, it is unclear if they are also effective in mild disease. The aim of this paper is to describe the design of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the efficacy of ET in patients with mild COPD and dyspnea, defined by a modified Medical Research Council dyspnea score ≥1. We hypothesize that their effectiveness will be similar to that observed in more advanced disease because of the presence of breathlessness. Consequently, ET will improve exercise limitation and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in dyspneic mild COPD patients in comparison to usual care. Methods and Analysis: In this RCT, 60 mild dyspneic COPD patients (post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV 1 ] ≥80% of predicted value and post-bronchodilator FEV 1 / forced vital capacity [FVC] ≤70%) will be randomized to an intervention or usual care group. The intervention group will receive a 2-month ET program, which will include cycle exercise and muscle resistance training, whereas the control group will receive usual care. Primary outcome will be the change on the six-min walk test after ET. Secondary outcomes will include changes in HRQoL, assessed with the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire, and changes in exercise time during a constant load cycle exercise. Discussion: This will be the first RCT evaluating the efficacy of an ET program in patients with mild COPD. These results could be of relevance to clinical practice and develop new recommendation in mild disease. Clinical Trials.gov: NCT02930421.

Esporos de fungos filamentosos disseminados no ambiente podem colonizar o trato respiratorio, causando doencas em pacientes imunocomprometidos. Em hospitais e clinicas de saude, e necessario determinar a concentracao de micro-organismos anemofilos nas areas internas e externas, no intuito de identificar fontes de contaminacao e disseminacao de agentes etiologicos. O valor maximo permitido deve ser &lt;750UFC/m3 de fungos para a relacao ambiente interno/externo I/E&lt;1,5, sendo inaceitavel a presenca de fungos patogenicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi reconhecer a diversidade taxonomica de fungos anemofilos em ambientes externos e internos de um hospital universitario, com enfase nos isolados potencialmente patogenicos. As coletas foram realizadas quinzenalmente, durante o inverno de 2008 e o verao de 2009, antes da limpeza dos aparelhos de ar condicionado. A avaliacao da micota nas unidades de terapia intensiva e centro cirurgico foi realizada pela tecnica de sedimentacao passiva. O...

Functional impairment caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) impacts on activities of daily living and quality of life. Indeed, patients’ submaximal exercise capacity is of crucial importance. It was the aim of this study to investigate the effects of an exercise training intervention with and without supplemental oxygen on submaximal exercise performance. This is a secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled, double‐blind, crossover trial. 29 COPD patients (63.5 ± 5.9 years; FEV1 46.4 ± 8.6%) completed two consecutive 6‐week periods of high‐intensity interval cycling and strength training, which was performed three times/week with either supplemental oxygen or medical air (10 L/min). Submaximal exercise capacity as well as the cardiocirculatory, ventilatory, and metabolic response were evaluated at isotime (point of termination in the shortest cardiopulmonary exercise test), at physical work capacity at 110 bpm of heart rate (PWC 110), at the anaerobic threshold ...

Emerging evidence indicates that, besides dyspnea relief, an improvement in locomotor muscle oxygen delivery may also contribute to enhanced exercise tolerance following normoxic heliox (replacement of inspired nitrogen by helium) administration in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Whether blood flow redistribution from intercostal to locomotor muscles contributes to this improvement currently remains unknown. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to investigate whether such redistribution plays a role in improving locomotor muscle oxygen delivery while breathing heliox at near-maximal [75% peak work rate (WRpeak)], maximal (100%WRpeak), and supramaximal (115%WRpeak) exercise in COPD. Intercostal and vastus lateralis muscle perfusion was measured in 10 COPD patients (FEV1 = 50.5 ± 5.5% predicted) by near-infrared spectroscopy using indocyanine green dye. Patients undertook exercise tests at 75 and 100%WRpeak breathing either air or heliox and at 115%...

Ambientes artificiais como o encontrado na unidade hospitalar pode ser favorável ao crescimento dos fungos, das bactérias, dos protozoários e dos ácaros, que podem trazer riscos de saúde. O ar de interiores tem assumido importância relevante, pelo surgimento de doenças em ocupantes de áreas com baixa renovação de ar. Devido o crescente uso de aparelhos de ar condicionado, foi realizado um estudo conduzido para identificar e quantificar as unidades formadoras de colônias de fungos anemófilos, em ambiente climatizado. Realizado em uma Unidade Hospitalar, com 253 leitos, onde realizam tratamentos médico-ambulatoriais, internações e cirurgias, foram selecionados 02 setores, a Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (U.T.I) e o Centro Cirúrgico (C.C), com área 321,45 m² e 995,72 m², respectivamente, ambos climatizados. As coletas do ar foram semanais em triplicata, sendo realizados em dois períodos, uma pela manhã, logo após a limpeza dos ambientes (09:00 h) e outra à tarde ao final do expediente (16:00 h), após a limpeza dos aparelhos de ar-condicionado, no período de 01 de maio a 30 junho de 20012. O número total no setor do C. C foram de 107 Unidades Formadoras de Colônia (UFC) antes e 77 UFC depois da limpeza e na UTI foram 133 UFC antes e 115 depois da limpeza, mantendo níveis de esporos no ambiente coletado na U.T.I, não apresentando redução com apenas à limpeza dos aparelhos de arcondicionado. Diante o exposto, há necessidade de revisão dos processos de limpeza e de trocas de ar nos ambientes estudados, para identificar e quantificar os fungos anemófilos.

We introduce a new sophisticated model of the cardiopulmonary system. The model consists of the heart, circulation and respiration systems with emphasis on the cardiopulmonary interaction. Heart and lungs are anatomically and physically coupled through the intra-thoracic pressure since they are both located in the same chest cavity. A novel extended lung model with emphasis on the pleural dynamics was developed. Interactions with the cardiovascular system were modeled using the pleural pressure. This model was implemented in MATLAB Simscape using electrical equivalent circuits. Simulation results for spontaneous breathing show a high agreement with physiological knowledge. Hence, the model could be used to explain many observed phenomena in the physiology.

OBJETIVO: As infecções nosocomiais são responsáveis por morbidade e mortalidade significativas no período neonatal. Considerando-se a preocupação com a qualidade do ar de áreas críticas como Unidades de Terapia Intensiva (UTI), foi realizado um levantamento da flora fúngica das UTI Pediátrica e Neonatal do Hospital das Clínicas Samuel Libânio, Pouso Alegre (MG), com a finalidade de identificar a presença de fungos potencialmente patogênicos e oportunistas. MÉTODOS: Foram realizadas 30 coletas, que incluíram leitos, incubadoras, janelas, aparelhos de ar condicionado, telefone, estetoscópios, portas e maçanetas. Placas de Agar Sabouraud Dextrose com o material das coletas foram incubadas em temperatura ambiente por 15 dias. A identificação foi baseada nas características macroscópicas no exame direto e em microcultivos. RESULTADOS: Fungos potencialmente patogênicos e toxigênicos foram isolados. A análise quantitativa das colônias revelou a presença de 11 gêneros. Verificou-se que mais...

Air pollution is a major environmental risk factor. There is accumulating evidence that air pollution could induce elevated blood pressure and potentiate hypertension. Acute elevations in the outdoor air pollution levels can trigger immediate or shortly delayed increases in arterial blood pressure. Moreover, few studies suggest that short-term increases in the levels of particulate and gaseous pollutants could lead to an acute onset of hypertension. Prolonged exposure to outdoor air pollution is associated with elevated blood pressure. Furthermore, some longitudinal studies have linked long-term exposure to air pollution with the incidence of hypertension. Various components of air pollution, such as inhalable particulate matter (PM 2.5 ,PM 10), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ozone, have shown associations with blood pressure in some studies. The hypothesized underlying mechanisms include inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress in lungs and in systemic circulation, imbalance of autonomous nervous system, and pathologic changes in vascular endothelium. In addition to "traditional" susceptible groups such as elderly individuals or patients with chronic diseases, children and pregnant women could be especially susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution. The interplay of air pollution with the related environmental exposures, such as traffic noise and climate change, should be investigated further.

UTIs each year globally [14]. Urinary surgery or an exam of your urinary tract that involves medical instruments can both increase risk of developing a urinary tract infection. Materials and Method Design A descriptive type of cross-sectional study design was used. All the data were collected through structured format in questionnaires. The sample sizes were statistically desirable, feasible and satisfactory and were approached randomly. The recording system was almost adequate and no other persons were engaged in collecting the data except the researcher so that the quality of the overall data was reliable.

Controversies exist in publications about the association between shift work and hypertension. This study aimed to explore the relationship between shift work and the level of systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as serum cholesterol among nurses in Kerman province, Southeast, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this historical cohort study 100 hospital nurses who had been employed for more than five years were recruited. Respondents were divided into two groups based on their working schedule (shift work/day work). After one year follow up, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured. A blood sample was also taken for recording the level of serum cholesterol. Data were analysed using SPSS (version 14) and paired t-test and Mann Whitney U test and relative risk with 95% CI was also calculated. Results: Demographic variables as well as the mean working years between shift working (10.98±3.6yrs) and day working (11.18±4.4yrs) nurses were not significantly different. The results of age-adjusted relative risk calculation showed that even after adjusting for respondents' age, there was not any significant risk of suffering from higher blood pressure among shift workers. The mean levels of cholesterol in the serum of shift workers (192.18± 43.6) and day workers (186.7 ±47.7) were not significantly different. Conclusions: Our findings confirmed the previous studies' results that reported no significant association between shift working and the level of blood pressure among nurses. More investigations are needed to explore factors, which could increase the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases among shift working nurses.

efined as the sytemic inflammatory response to infection, sepsis is one of the most common death causes in intensive care units. 1 Although sepsis pathophysiology has been well understood and mortality rates have been decreased by means of new treatment methods and

Levando em consideração a relevância para a saúde de pacientes em internação hospitalar e profissionais presentes nessas instituições de saúde que ocupam esses ambientes climatizados por meio de ar condicionado, este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar os fungos encontrados e indicar os riscos que eles podem causar em pacientes em tratamento de câncer por meio da qualidade microbiológica do ar do Instituto de Oncologia e Radioterapia do município de Porto Velho/RO. Foi utilizado para a coleta de amostras a técnica de sedimentação espontânea realizando quatro coletas a cada 20 dias (ano de 2015) nos 4 setores, na qual a Placa 1 foi exposta por 15 minutos; a Placa 2 por 25 minutos e a Placa 3 por 30 minutos em pontos estratégicos a 1,5 metros do piso, no centro destes determinados setores, em horários que apresentavam um grande número de pessoas circulando. Foram identificados a presença de nove gêneros de fungos como o Acremonium sp., Aspergillus sp., Candida sp., Cladosporium sp....

Justificativa e Objetivos: Devido às altas taxas de mortalidade associadas às infecções fúngicas, os métodos para detecção e diagnóstico são importantes para um tratamento adequado e eficaz contra esses microrganismos. Dessa forma, o objetivo do presente estudo foi verificar a incidência e densidade celular de fungos e caracterizar fenotipicamente esses microrganismos em algumas superfícies de um Centro Cirúrgico. Métodos: a coleta foi realizada com o auxílio de um swab esterilizado e embebido em água peptonada 0,1% e friccionada em quadrantes de 20 cm2 das seguintes superfícies estudadas: mesa de medicação, mesa cirúrgica, bancada de mármore e grades de ar condicionado. As análises foram realizadas em duplicatas, empregando-se as diluições decimais a partir de 10-1 até 10-6. Após incubação 25 ºC /72h, foi realizada a quantificação dos fungos. As colônias foram avaliadas com relação à cor, tamanho, borda e produção de pigmentos, sendo então caracterizadas entre fungos leveduriformes...

Cardiopulmonary response to unloaded cycling may be related to higher workloads. This was assessed in male subjects: 18 healthy sedentary subjects (controls), 14 hypoxemic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and 31 overweight individuals (twelve were hypoxemic). They underwent an incremental exercise up to the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), preceded by a 2 min unloaded cycling period. Oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), minute ventilation (VE), and respiratory frequency (fR) were averaged every 10 s. At the end of unloaded cycling period, HR increase was significantly accentuated in COPD and hypoxemic overweight subjects (resp.,+14±2and+13±1.5 min−1, compared to+7.5±1.5 min−1in normoxemic overweight subjects and+8±1.8 min−1in controls). The fR increase was accentuated in all overweight subjects (hypoxemic:+4.5±0.8; normoxemic:+3.9±0.7 min−1) compared to controls (+2.5±0.8 min−1) and COPDs (+2.0±0.7 min−1). The plateau VE increase during unloaded cycling wa...

Hand sanitizer also called antiseptic is a liquid or Gel type substance needed to kill various different germs including bacteria and viruses present on our external body surfaces. Hand hygiene is the single most important factor needed to control the spread of many contagious diseases. Routine hand hygiene with hand sanitizers is the single most effective way to prevent infections, especially in health care settings. Despite a lot of beneficial effects in daily life, it is not completely free of shortcomings. It is known to cause antibiotic resistance, dry skin, unsafe if ingested, and potential alternatives for alcohol abusers.

Background: Changes in global temperature and its health effects have recently been under much investigated. Consequently, these changes have affected mortality and morbidity rates which are important public health indices. The present study examines the effect of mean temperature on the frequency of hospitalization due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Ali Ibn Abi Talib Hospital of Rafsanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this ecological study, data on hospitalization were gathered from electronic systems of hospitals and the data from the weather organizations were extracted from the weather station. All patients not living in Rafsanjan were excluded. Data were entered into SPSS and SAS software and the association between mean temperature and hospitalization frequency were analyzed using Poisson regression models. Results: A negative significant association was found between mean temperature and mean number of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. By each 1 °C decrease in mean temperature, the mean number of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases increased by 1% (95% CI; 0.63-1.26%) and 4.33% (95% CI; 4-4.64%), respectively. For cardiovascular diseases, there was no significant difference in mean number of admissions based on different age groups. However, in the 0-4-year age group, the mean number of hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases was significantly higher than the other age groups. For both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, there was no significant difference between females and males in terms of the mean number of hospitalizations. Conclusions: Reduction in mean temperature, in the present study, increased the mean number of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and it was stronger for respiratory diseases. According to these findings, people who are at risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases should be forbidden from exposure to extremely cold temperatures.

Introducao – Os esporos fungicos sao uma das maiores componentes biologicas atmosfericas; no entanto, sao ainda pouco estudados e nao lhes e reconhecida a influencia devida na doenca alergica respiratoria. Neste trabalho pretende-se determinar a importância dos niveis de esporos atmosfericos de Alternaria e Cladosporium na doenca alergica respiratoria na cidade de Beja. Metodo – Analisaram-se os niveis atmosfericos de esporos de Alternaria e Cladosporium na cidade de Beja. A metodologia utilizada e recomendada pela Rede Portuguesa de Aerobiologia: utilizou-se um coletor volumetrico do tipo Hirst, um Burkard seven-day Volumetric Spore-trape®; os esporos foram coletados numa bobine que continha uma fita de Melinex impregnada com silicone e corados com solucao de glicerogelatina com fucsina basica. Para a leitura das amostras utilizou-se o metodo de leitura das quatro linhas longitudinais ao microscopio otico com uma ampliacao de 400x. Os resultados obtidos foram convertidos e expresso...

Wheezing at preschool age (i.e., before the age of six) is common, occurring in about 30% of children before the age of three. In terms of health care burden, preschool children with wheeze show double the rate of access to the emergency department and five times the rate of hospital admissions compared with school-age asthmatics. The consensus document aims to analyse the underlying mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of preschool wheezing and define the risk factors (i.e., allergy, atopy, infection, bronchiolitis, genetics, indoor and outdoor pollution, tobacco smoke exposure, obesity, prematurity) and the protective factors (i.e., probiotics, breastfeeding, vitamin D, influenza vaccination, non-specific immunomodulators) associated with the development of the disease in the young child. A multidisciplinary panel of experts from the Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy, addressed twelve key questions regarding managing preschool wheezing. Clinical questions have been formulated by the...