Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
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Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. · Apr 2003
Needle sticks and adverse outcomes in office-based allergy practices.
In 1984 the first case of needle stick transmitted human immunodeficiency virus was reported. In 1986 Occupational Safety and Health Administration was petitioned by various unions representing health care employees to develop a standard which protects employees from occupational exposure to blood-borne diseases. Congress passed the Needle Stick Safety and Prevention Act. This specifies that "safer medical devices, such as sharps with engineered sharps injury protections and needle-less systems" constitute an effective engineering control, and must be used where feasible. This has been mandated in California as part of the labor code. Blood-borne pathogens of concern in needle stick injuries are human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis virus B, and hepatitis virus C. ⋯ The rate of ANSs in the allergist's office is 2% that of general medical ANSs. The current "safety" needles have no proven effectiveness. There is no reported disease transmission in the allergist's office setting using existent methods. This solution needs further study before there is generalized implementation of the engineering devices of no proven effectiveness that may in fact increase ANSs.
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Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. · Apr 2003
Serum interferon-gamma is associated with longitudinal decline in lung function among asthmatic patients: the Normative Aging Study.
Cytokines are important mediators of the asthmatic response. A retrospective pilot study showed that serum levels of interleukin (IL)-5 and interferon (IFN)-gamma were related to lung function decline among asthmatic patients over the preceding 3 years. To confirm these findings, we tested the hypothesis that serum cytokines are associated with longitudinal lung function decline. ⋯ Serum levels of IFN-gamma are associated with subsequent rate of change in lung function among asthmatic patients in this cohort of middle-aged and older men, and may be useful as biologic markers of risk for accelerated lung function decline in population studies.