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Background: Continuous growth in the prevalence of obstructive diseases, including asthma, has been observed in recent years. The increase is observed both in subjects not practicing any sport and in professional athletes. In the latter asthma is surely underestimated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of asthma symptoms in athletes in region of Gdansk (Poland). Materials and Methods: Young sportsmen from the Centre of Sport Medicine in Gdansk were included in the study between 2005 and 2006. Data were collected during routine prophylactic visits. International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) Asthma Questionnaire was used to evaluate the prevalence of asthma symptoms. Questionnaire was enriched by questions concerning age, gender, sports practiced, training experience, influence of physical activity, smoking, coexistence of other allergic diseases. Results: 376 athletes, including 128 females (34%) and 248 males (66%), aged 14-27 years (mean age 17 years, SD±2.71) were examined. At least one exercise-related asthma symptom was observed in 38 athletes (10.1%). The most common symptoms were: chest tightness (31.9%), dyspnoea after exercise (29.8%), cough (21.3%), wheezing (17%). Coexistence of other allergic diseases (allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis) was revealed in 46 patients (12.2%). Smoking was reported by 38 athletes (10.1%, 33 males, 5 females) including 31daily smokers (8.2%) and 7 occasional smokers (1.9%). All daily smokers reported symptoms of exercise-induced asthma. Symptoms were significantly more common in subjects under age of 18 (23 subjects - 6.1%) than older ones (15 subjects - 4.0%) (P

Development of interactive online resources and computer programs which are devoted to identification of early symptoms of various human diseases and their risk factors is an urgent task of modern medicine [1,2]. In 2011 scientists from Perm (Russia) developed an electronic resource which identifies key health problems, specialists a patient has to visit, an examination plan, and principles of health care: “Electronic polyclinic”. This work aims to study the effectiveness of automatic system in the case of symptom assessment in bronchial obstructive diseases. The computer PC program “Electronic polyclinic” is located on the Web-page http://klinikcity.ru . It consists of 6 modules including “Respiratory module”, which makes possible the calculation of 20 clinical respiratory symptoms, consisted of 163 questions and summarize one of the 8 different syndromic preliminary conclusions. Material: of the study consists of 12 patients with COPD, 11 with bronchial asthma (BA) and 41 healthy people. Results: An interactive program conclusion concerning the patient group showed the frequency of bronchial obstructive syndrome of 75,0%, but in the control group it was only 2,4%. We analyzed the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among the patients with bronchial obstructive diseases and among healthy people as well. Conclusion: The respiratory module of the PC interactive program “Electronic polyclinic” is an effective method for those clinical cases which demand spirometric examination in order to diagnose COPD and asthma with sensitivity of 75,0% and specificity of 97,6%. Referances 1. J. Maurice Lancet 2013; 382: 671-672. 2. K. Baiker, H. Levy N.Engl.J.Med. 2013; 369:9.

Introduction: Capnogram is the curve obtained by continuous recording of the carbon dioxide mass mol in a sample of expiratory air(PECO2). Several studies have demonstrated significant correlation between indices describing the shape of the capnogram and the usual spirometric parameters. Aim: Aim of the study was to investigate whether capnogram can differentiate between patients with and without airway obstruction. Method: In 50 subjects spirometry was measured and according to FEV1/FVC ratio they got assigned either to the group with (FEV1/FVC 70%). Capnographic measurements were made in both groups using ultrasonic measurement principle (Ganshorn Spiro Scout spirometer)that simultaneously measures airflow, temperature and gas density,providing data on volume and gas exchange from a single measurement using only quiet tidal breathing. Data on exhaled CO2 slope characteristics were expressed as α angle (°). Results: Results show significant negative correlations between α angle and FEV1 (r= -0.760;p

Inferior vena cava (IVC) abnormalities are not uncommon. Congential anomalies, thrombosis, neoplasms, and obstructive lesions can involve IVC. With the wide use of multidetector CT, it has demonstrated its ability to display the abnormalities of IVC. Congenital anomalies, thrombosis, neoplasms, and stenosis or obstructive diseases and other abnormalities can be demonstrated by MDCT. We present a pictorial essay to illustrate its roles in detecting and defining the nature of lesions of IVC, from the anatomy to disease spectrum of IVC.

The diseases concerning the small pulmonary vessels are difficult to diagnose. Pathologic findings are rarely limited to the small vessels, and a continuum between the involvement of small and large vessels is frequent. Moreover, small vessels can be affected by various disease entities with overlapping radiologic features and a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Nevertheless, these various entities can be easily separated into two different groups by imaging techniques, particularly by computed tomography: obstructive and inflammatory diseases. Radiologic findings of obstructive diseases are relatively constant, dominated by the manifestation of pulmonary hypertension. In contrast, radiologic manifestations of inflammatory diseases are often florid and nonspecific. After a recall of the classification of small vessel diseases and the imaging techniques, we show the computed tomography features of the principal diseases involving the small pulmonary vessels by classifying them in these two principal groups.

*Introduction:* Effects of urban air pollutants on pulmonary function usually show an association with obstructive diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of heterogeneous ai...

Horses are obligate nasal breathers and depend on patency of their nasal passages. Several dynamic obstructive diseases in the pharyngeal and laryngeal area can be differentiated by high speed treadmill endoscopy and may be responsible for impaired exercise tolerance in the equine athlete. The anatomical specialty of guttural pouches predisposes the horse to species-specific diseases.

In the period between 1940 and 1955 the indications for tracheotomy were extended. For centuries tracheotomies were performed to treat obstructive diseases of the upper airway (hypopharynx, larynx, trachea). With the end of the second World War tracheotomy was indicated more and more for the therapy of lower airway disturbances.Medical empiricism is thought to be responsible for the gradual shift in the indications during that period from upper to lower airway disturbances. Knowledge about the underlying principles of respiratory physiology was, however, already present at the end of the 19th century, but the shift in the indications did not occur until relatively recently. For many victims of World War II the discovery of the beneficial effect of a tracheotomy in a variety of traumatic disorders may have come too late.

Objective:To evaluate the safety of beta-agonists (BA) with different duration of action (short-acting (SABA), long-acting (LABA), ultra-long-acting (ULABA) in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchial asthma.Design and method:40 patients

It is becoming increasingly clear that in order to accomplish healthy longevity for the population, there is an urgent need for the research and development of effective therapies against degenerative aging processes underlying major aging-related diseases, including heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, pulmonary obstructive diseases, as well as aging-related complications and susceptibilities of infectious communicable diseases. Yet, an important incentive for the research and development of such therapies appears to be the development of clinically applicable and scientifically grounded definitions and criteria for the multifactorial degenerative aging process (or "senility" using the existing ICD category), underlying those diseases, as well as for the safety and effectiveness of interventions against it. Such generally agreed definitions and criteria are currently absent. The devising of such criteria is important not only for the sake of their scientific value and their utility for the development of therapeutic solutions for the aging population, but also to comply with and implement major existing national and international programmatic and regulatory requirements. Some methodological suggestions and potential pitfalls for the development of such criteria are examined.

PURPOSE Obstructive diseases of the salivary glands, a common problem in the ENT field, are often based on sialolithiasis but can also result from rare circumstances. Due to recent technical innovations, there has been significant development in the treatment of obstructive diseases of the salivary glands such that minimally invasive glandula-sustaining therapy has now become standard. However, there is still no effective technique to assess and monitor the recovery of the parenchyma of the gland. As a result, recurrent infections often lead to modification of the gland in which fibrosis increases and the gland becomes coarse. After treatment, the parenchyma of the gland is able to recover. Thus, to more effectively monitor and promote the success of treatment, we have developed a new method to measure and quantify the stiffness of the glandula tissue using elastography (Virtual Touch TM Application) to assess the degree of recovery. MATERIALS AND METHODS First, we collected elastography data from 30 healthy volunteers as part of a conventional ultrasound (Siemens, ACUSON, S 2000, Germany) with a multi-frequency linear 9 MHz transducer in order to determine if normal findings are sufficiently quantifiable. We subsequently measured patients with sialolithiasis of the submandibular gland. RESULTS For healthy volunteers, the average value was 1.96 ± 0.48 m/s for the glandula submandibularis and 2.66+/- 0.89 for the parotid gland, a statistically significant difference. For patients with sialolithiasis of the submandibular gland, the average value was 2.98 ± 0.4 m/s, a highly significant difference in comparison to the healthy side of the patient. CONCLUSION Elastography is an easy to use diagnostic method that shows promise to become a valuable tool for the assessment of disease severity as it provides the possibility to quantify the level of treatment benefit for the patient.

The pulmonary diseases of obstructive character have high prevalence in the human population and has been subject of several clinical and experimental studies in order to seek a wider understanding of their pathogeny, physiopathology and, especially, the establishment of more rational ways for their treatment. Accordingly, this great effort has led to an extraordinary widening in the concepts of obstructive diseases in the last years, involving the integration of mechanical factors, inflammatory agents, autonomic regulation of airways and environmental aspects.

Purpose: Obstructive diseases of the salivary glands are often based on Sialolithiasis; however, conventional radio- logical imaging or ultrasound does not provide a diagnosis in 5-10% of all cases. It was the aim of our study to examine the effectiveness and viability of an intraductal applied contrast-enhanced ultrasound (IA-CEUS) to improve the visualization of obstructive diseases of the salivary glands in comparison to conventional ultrasound and clinical symptoms. Materials and methods: The study included fifteen patients with swelling of indeterminate cause and/or pain of one or more salivary glands. A high-end ultrasound machine (Siemens, ACUSON, S 2000, Germany) with a multi-frequency linear 9 MHz transducer was used to carry out contrast-enhanced ultrasound with SonoVue ® . Results: All patients were examined using all diagnostic ultrasound tools of the study. The results show that the procedure is easy and convenient to perform, as well as efficient, but more significantly, that the intraductal contrast agent improved the diagnostic assessment capabilities of ultrasound for patients with obstructive salivary gland diseases, thereby helping to identify the best treatment. Conclusion: In comparison to conventional ultrasound, the use of an intraductal applied contract-enhanced ultrasound not only improved the visualization of the glandular duct system as a whole, but was less time-consuming as well as more reproducible. Thus, IA-CEUS with an intraductal applied contrast agent (IA-CEUS) is a promising tool that provides additional helpful information and an improvement for cases involving patients with unclear symptoms.

Imaging urinary tract obstruction is a common query in paediatric uroradiology. With the advent of a more conservative treatment approach, the task of imaging today is to distinguish as early as possible those kidneys that do not require surgery, from those that will deteriorate and lose function and/or growth potential and thus benefit from surgery. At present, in spite of significant advancements in imaging and the introduction of diuretic paediatric MR-urography, there is still no reliable a-priori pro-futuro assessment. Thus, repeated follow-up imaging is often necessary for monitoring. Imaging usually starts with US; the major additional complementary and more function-oriented tools are diuretic renal scintigraphy and MR-urography. The frequency and timing as well as the detailed protocol vary within institutions, partly because of differences in the criteria that are used for indicating surgery. Intra-venous urography (IVU) for obstruction has practically vanished apart from for a few exceptions, and the “Whitaker” test is today seldom performed, being reserved for complicated cases.

This article focuses on obstructive diseases of the large intestine (large and small colons) caused by intraluminal bodies. Large intestinal obstructions from intraluminal bodies can be divided into the following categories: enteroliths or mineral concretions, bezoars (hair or plant material), and ingested foreign objects. Clinical presentation and treatment of obstructive diseases are presented in this article and are similar regardless of the cause.

Wheezy breath is a general sign for airway obstructive diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This paper presents a novel wheeze detection method that can be used to detect and identify wheezes automatically. The proposed method exploits ``entropy" to describe the pattern of the frequency spectrum of the wheezing signal and the wheeze identification can be conducted using only one or two entropy-based features. Therefore the proposed method has considerably reduced computational complexity and is able to operate with the low power consumption constraint under the wearable condition. The performance of the proposed method has been evaluated using lung sounds from patients and normal subjects under different Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).

Σκοπός: 1) Η μελέτη της αναπνευστικής λειτουργίας εργαζόμενων σε αρτοποιεία, όσον αφορά τα αναπνευστικά συμπτώματα τα σχετικά με την εργασία (βήχας, δύσπνοια, ρινίτιδα, πταρμός και επιπεφυκίτιδα) και τους δείκτες πνευμονικής λειτουργίας (FEV1, FVC, λόγος FEV1/FVC, RV, TLC, λόγος RV/TLC). 2) η μελέτη της ανοσολογικής ευαισθητοποίησης των εργαζομένων στα αλλεργιογόνα των διάφορων αλεύρων που χρησιμοποιούνται στην παραγωγή του άρτου. Μελετήθηκαν 103 άτομα που εργάζονταν σε παραδοσιακά αρτοποιεία στην περιοχή της πόλης των Πατρών. Από αυτούς τους εργαζόμενους οι 58 απασχολούνται αποκλειστικά στην παραγωγή του άρτου και οι υπόλοιποι 45 αποκλειστικά στην πώληση του άρτου. Ελέγχθηκε ο επιπολασμός των αναπνευστικών συμπτωμάτων των σχετικών με την εργασία (βήχας, πταρμός, επιπεφυκίτιδα, δύσπνοια και ρινίτιδα) με την χρήση ερωτηματολόγιου και προσωπικής συνέντευξης των δύο ομάδων ελέγχου. Επίσης ελέγχθηκε η πνευμονική λειτουργία των εργαζομένων με την χρήση σπιρομέτρησης και σωματικής πληθυσμογραφίας, με τον υπολογισμό των δεικτών FEV1, FVC, τον λόγο FEV1/FVC , RV, TLC και τον λόγο RV/TLC). Αναζητήθηκε επίσης το ποσοστό αποφρακτικής και περιοριστικής νόσου και στους παραγωγούς και στους πωλητές του άρτου και το ποσοστό ανταπόκρισης στην βρογχοδιαστολή (ενδεικτικό αναστρέψιμης αποφρακτικής νόσου). Τέλος εξετάστηκε ο επιπολασμός της ανοσολογικής ευαισθητοποίησης των εργαζομένων στα αλλεργιογόνα άρτου (σιτάρι, βρώμη, σίκαλη και κριθάρι) με την χρήση της δερματικής δοκιμασίας δια νυγμού (skin prick test) και της ανοσολογικής ευαισθητοποίησης στα κοινά αλλεργιογόνα (γύρη λουλουδιών, ακάρεα σκόνης και επιθήλια γάτας και σκύλου) (ατοπία) Οι εργαζόμενοι που απασχολούνται αποκλειστικά με την παραγωγή του άρτου εμφανίζουν σε ποσοστό 41,37% ένα τουλάχιστον αναπνευστικό σύμπτωμα σχετικό με την εργασία, έναντι 6,6% των εργαζομένων στην πώληση του άρτου. Το πιο συχνό αναπνευστικό σύμπτωμα είναι η ρινίτιδα (σε ποσοστό 24,13% για τους παραγωγούς και 4,4% για τους πωλητές). Για τους παραγωγούς βρέθηκε συσχέτιση μεταξύ των αναπνευστικών συμπτωμάτων σχετικών με την εργασία και της ανοσολογικής ευαισθητοποίησης σε ένα τουλάχιστον αλλεργιογόνο των αρτοποιείων (p12% (ενδεικτικό αναστρέψιμης αποφρακτικής νόσου-άσθμα). Το ποσοστό περιοριστικής νόσου είναι παρόμοιο για τις δυο ομάδες (12.06% για τους παραγωγούς και 11,1% για τους πωλητές ). Τέλος το 22,41% των παραγωγών άρτου εμφανίζει ευαισθητοποίηση σε ένα τουλάχιστον αλλεργιογόνο του άρτου, έναντι 4,4% των εργαζομένων στην πώληση του άρτου με καθοριστικό παράγοντα την ύπαρξη ατοπίας.(OR=15, 12, p12% (indication of inverted obstructive impairment – asthma), and while the percentage of restrictive impairment is similar in both groups (12.06% for bread producers and 11.1% for bread sellers). Finally a 22.41% of the bread producers present sensitization in at least one of the allergies of flour, versus a 4.4% of the bread sellers with a defining factor the existence of atopy. (OR=15, 12, p

Major controversies still exist regarding the terminology, the etiology and the pathogenesis of congenital obstructive diseases of the ureter. To try to provide some additional information to this controversial subject, a comparative study of ureteral development in rat and human embryos, using light and electron microscopy, has been performed. During fetal development we observed and demonstrated the existence of obstructive phenomena, both at the level of the ureterovesical junction (Chwalla's membrane) and along the ureter. At the end of the embryonic period, the ureter undergoes a physiologic recanalization process.

Selective salpingography and transvaginal catheter dilatation were performed in 157 women with infertility to diagnose, localize, and classify obstructive diseases of the fallopian tubes and to correct obstruction of the proximal (uterine-end) tube. In 61 (39%) of the patients, the selective salpingograms showed patent tubes despite the fact that two previous hysterosalpingograms showed obstruction of the proximal (uterine-end) tube. Transvaginal catheter dilatation successfully recanalized the proximal portion of the tubes in 79 (82%) of 96 patients with obstructed tubes. In 18 of 25 with successful transvaginal catheter dilatation and 6-month follow-up salpingography, the tubes remained patent. Coexisting disease of the distal (ovarian-end) tubes was diagnosed in 29 (18%) of the patients. Pregnancy was achieved in 11 of the 157 patients (six in whom obstructions were corrected by transvaginal catheter dilatation and five in whom selective salpingograms showed patent tubes). There were no complications due to the procedure. The excellent diagnostic and therapeutic yield, lack of complications, and low cost justify the use of these percutaneous techniques to investigate female infertility and to treat obstruction of the uterine end of the fallopian tube.

Cholestasis, an impairment of bile outflux, frequently occurs in liver diseases. In this process, an overaccumulation of bile acids causes hepatocyte necrosis and apoptosis, leading to advanced hepatitis. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is mitogenic toward hepatocytes, but it is still unclear whether HGF has physiological and therapeutic functions during the progression of cholestasis. Using anti-HGF IgG or recombinant HGF in mice that had undergone bile duct ligation (BDL), we investigated the involvement of HGF in cholestasis-induced hepatitis. After the BDL surgery, HGF and c-Met mRNA levels transiently increased in livers during the progression of cholestatic hepatitis. When c-Met tyrosine phosphorylation was blocked in the livers of BDL-treated mice by anti-HGF IgG, hepatic dysfunction became evident, associated with the acceleration of hepatocyte necrosis and apoptosis. Inversely, administration of recombinant HGF into the mice led to the prevention of cholestasis-induced inflammation: HGF suppressed the hepatic expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and neutrophil infiltration in BDL-treated mice. As a result, parenchymal necrosis was suppressed in the HGF-injected BDL mice. In addition, HGF supplement therapy reduced the number of apoptotic hepatocytes in cholestatic mice, associated with the early induction of Bcl-xL. The administration of HGF enhanced hepatic repair, via accelerating G1/S progression in hepatocytes. Our study showed that 1) upregulation of HGF production is required for protective mechanisms against cholestatic hepatitis and 2) enhancement of the intrinsic defense system by adding HGF may be a reasonable strategy to attenuate hepatic inflammation, necrosis, and apoptosis under bile-congestive conditions.

Extensive efforts since 1931, on the structural determination of the mammalian tachykinin SP by NMR, CD and IR have turned out to be inconclusive. Studies are now being concentrated on the structural properties and characteristics of various NK receptors (NK(1), NK(2) and NK(3)) with the help of genetics, cloning, receptor engineering, mutagenesis and modeling. This knowledge is now being fruitfully used in the development of non-peptide NK(1) receptor antagonists that essentially block the pharmacological effects of SP. It is now being realized that the simultaneous blockade of two or more receptors gives promising results in emesis, depression and pulmonary obstructive diseases. In addition to the synthetic compounds, the discovery of antagonists from natural origin has added a great value to this field. In this review we have made an attempt to present the structural characteristics of SP, its analogs and antagonists, the structural characteristics of the NK receptor, and structure activity relationships that have helped to improve the therapeutic utilities of SP antagonists.

he early and aggressive use of oxygen in the man-agement of children in the emergency department isgenerally well known and considered by many per-sons to be a standard of practice. However, reports ofpatients transferred to one children’s hospital emergencydepartment revealed that oxygen was not administeredquickly to children in emergency departments of hospitalsthat did not specialize in treating children. This finding ledto the development of a survey that found that differencesexisted in the likelihood that oxygen was provided for chil-dren with respiratory problems after triage and independentof physician evaluation. Specifically, nurses in children’s hos-pitals were significantly more likely to provide oxygen forchildren than were emergency nurses in non-children’s hos-pitals (Attia M, Herrman J, Cronan K. Nursing scope ofpractice in pediatric emergency services. Unpublished study,1993). The results of this survey led us to wonder: Is oxygentherapy used more readily when staff are more accustomed totreating children? Do practitioners who do not routinely seechildren hesitate to use oxygen because they are used to beingconservative with oxygen therapy with adult patients whohave chronic lung and obstructive diseases? Is there a need torevisit this issue and spread the word to novice ED nurses orED nurses less used to seeing children? The indications andcontraindications of early and aggressive oxygen use withemergently ill children seems important, and we believe thatthis information might be useful for veteran emergency nurs-es as well as nurses orienting to the emergency department.

Mucociliary clearance is an important defence mechanism of upper and lower respiratory tracts. Any disturbance in the mechanism leads to stagnation of secretions and secondary infection with prolonged mucociliary clearance time. The present study was undertaken to establish normal mucociliary clearance time in our region and to evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic potential in chronic sinusitis of variable duration with and without obstructive diseases.A simple Saccharine test was done in twenty healthy individuals and fifty patients suffering from Chronic Sinusitis, before and after treatment, to know the effect of disease on mucociliary clearance.The normal mucociliary clearance time in our region is 6.99 ± 0.26 with S.D. 1.15 and significant change in mucociliary clearance occurs in Chronic Sinusitis.

We previously analyzed UNOS data from patients (pts) having lung transplant (LTX) with the 4 most common diagnoses to identify risk factors (RF) for death after LTX, limiting the analysis to 11 yrs should be grouped with adults. Analysis of waitlist and post-LTX survival for other diagnoses resulted in 4 adult diagnostic groups and a 5th pediatric group. RF associated with increased risk of death while waitig were identified by another analysis. All pts having LTX from Jan.1/97 to Dec. 31/98 were studied. Group A(n=863): COPD and other obstructive diseases including sarcoid, mean PA 30, BOOP. Group E(n=59): pts

procedures and computed tomography / magnetic resonance imaging have increased, percutaneous biliary procedures including PTC, PTBD, and percutaneous stent placement remains significant in the evaluation and treatment of biliary obstructive diseases, especially for biliary hilar obstruction (1-3). PTBD has been regarded as a drainage-first procedure. Thus, a duct puncture is commonly followed by the insertion of an introducing system to deliver a 0.035 inch wire followed by a drainage catheter. However, during PTBD, it is not uncommon to encounter situations that J Korean Soc Radiol 2011;64:317-323

There has been a long-standing controversy concerning the risk factors and pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the development of chronic airflow obstruction (CAO). This asthmatic constitution consisted of a predisposition to allergy, airways hyperresponsiveness, and possibly eosinophilia. Other investigators, however, regarded CAO as simply the late stage of chronic bronchitis. The term chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) was developed to resolve what was largely a semantic difference. In subsequent years, the term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has come to be used more often than COLD to describe these patients. This article discusses the differences between these terms and defines the causes and risk factors associated with each.

The combined inhalation and perfusion scintigraphy as a specific identification method of thromboembolism of the lung was tried out in 132 patients. A fine aerosol with selected droplet size was produced in a newly developed atomiser device and inhaled by taking a few deep breaths. Perfusion scintigraphy, which was performed immediately after inhalation scintigraphy, was effected with the same radioisotope, 99mTechnetiun. The disadvantages of inhalation scintigraphy, which are inherent in the method itself, were reduced to such an extent that it was possible to distinguish clearly between primary and secondary disturbances of pulmonary perfusion even in obstructive diseases of the respiratory tract, provided perfusion was disturbed in sufficiently large areas, i.e. of segment or lobe size.

A two-step procedure for percutaneous transhepatic drainage (PTD) of the biliary tract was attempted on 101 patients with obstructive jaundice, 29 with benign and 71 with malignant lesions, and was successful in 100. With this procedure, marked clinical improvement, with reduction in levels of serum bilirubin, SGOT, SGPT and alkaline phosphatase, was achieved after 1-2 weeks as a preoperative step or for continuous drainage in inoperable cases. In one patient 8 dys after PTD, however, a complicating large intrahepatic hematoma proved fatal. Emergency operation was necessary in three of the four patients who developed bile peritonitis due to dislocation of the catheter and in one with intra-abdominal bleeding. Our results suggest that this procedure is very useful in the diagnosis and management of certain obstructive diseases of the biliary tract.

A mathematical procedure is described for examining growth velocity rates of lung function (FEVi) in relationship to somatic growth and maturation. This procedure uses a polynomial smoothing spline model to yield a fitted curve through the data and to estimate the process first derivatives (i.e. growth velocity curves). We demonstrate this technique using data from children and adolescents enrolled in the Tucson Epidemiological Study of Airway Obstructive Diseases. The study group consisted of 772 healthy normal subjects, aged 3 to 25 y. The results for the normal subjects (male and female) indicate that the growth velocity peak (GVP) of somatic growth leads the GVP of functional growth (FEVi) by approximately 7 and 11 mo for females and male subjects, respectively, and that the GVP of maturation lags behind that of functional growth (FEVi) by approximately 1 y (male and female subjects). In addition, the normal subjects' growth velocity curves for FVC and FEVi/FVC were examined. The FEVi/ FVC ratio was consistently high, and its growth velocity was not significantly different than 0 over the age range studied. This suggests that in normal children, the GVP seen in FEVi is primarily due to a GVP in vital capacity or lung vol, rather than to a direct effect on expiratory flow rates alone. From this study we concluded that the polynomial smoothing spline procedure can adequately model the inherently noisy pulmonary function data and additionally yield an accurate estimate of the process first derivative.

SUMMARY Measurements of lung volume play an integral role in the laboratory evaluation of patients with known or suspected lung disease. Several techniques are available to measure absolute lung volumes (containing residual volume). It should be noted that these techniques measure different theoretical volumes and may produce different results in patients with lung disease. Lung volume measurements are typically elevated in obstructive diseases and reduced in restrictive diseases, making them useful tests in diagnosing and distinguishing these two general classes of disease.

Treatment with pyridinolcarbamate for obstructive diseases of the peripheral arteries could be evaluated in 21 patients. The results of the treatment were good in 10 patients and satisfactory in another 6 patients. Angiography showed improvement in only one. Twenty patients experienced slight side effects, appearing during the first 10 days, lasting not more than 6 days and subsiding spontaneously. In none of the patients was it necessary to interrupt or discontinue the treatment.In view of these results we consider pyridinolcarbamate indicated in patients with advanced stages of peripheral arterial occlusive disease, when other treatments have failed. The present results do not allow evaluation of Anginine treatment in earlier stages of the disease.

In chronic nasal obstructive diseases it is frequently necessary to prescribe solutions of epinephrine and ephedrine over a period of time. This is particularly true in chronic conditions of the sinuses as well as in the various cases of vasomotor rhinitis encountered in ordinary practice. Whether or not these drugs, acting as a palliative in the beginning, are deleterious after long usage, is a matter deserving investigation. In another paper, 1 I report what appears histologically to be an injury to the nasal vasculosa of animals sprayed only once with a 1:1,000 solution of epinephrine, while no such injury is apparent in animals sprayed with a 1: 50 solution of ephedrine. The purpose of these experiments is to note the effect of these drugs on the nasal mucosa of rabbits after daily usage over a long period of time. A 1: 1,000 solution of epinephrine chloride and a 1: 50

A study is presented in which patients with recurrent urinary tract infections with and without anatomical defects or obstructive diseases are treated with a short-term, high-dosage followed by a short-term, low-dosage regimen of co-trimoxazole.

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BACKGROUND: Coal mining is considered as one of the dangerous occupation though out the world, andposes many work related health problems to coal miners. It is reported that overall situation of occupationalsafety and health is not encouraging and thus coal miners' work under hazardous conditions, resulting inunnecessary morbidity and mortality. The occupational problems are on rise and cause hazardous impactson coal miners as well as affect the economic status of the country. The objective of this study was to assessthe prevalence of occupational obstructive diseases among coal miners.MATERIAL & METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Cherat; among 400 coal miners,from January 2013 to July 2013. To estimate the prevalence of occupational obstructive diseases; coalminers of more than six months were included and pulmonary function tests& CXR were conducted.RESULTS: The coal miners showed an increased prevalence of occupational obstructive diseases. Themedical examinations of coal miner's revealed that approximately 17% i.e. 15.75% on PFTs and 18% onCXR had findings of occupational obstructive diseases.CONCLUSION: The prevalence of the occupational obstructive diseases was high among the Cherat coalminers.KEY WORDS: Prevalence, Occupational Obstructive Diseases, Pulmonary Function Tests, Chest X-rays,Coal Miners.