Respirology : official journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
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More than 100000 Japanese die of pneumonia every year. The number of people residing in nursing homes is increasing with the ageing of the population. In 2005, the American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America (ATS/IDSA) published important guidelines for the management of healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP). In Japan, however, the optimum strategy for management of HCAP is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical features of patients with HCAP. ⋯ The NHAP group was clinically different from the O-HCAP group, based on bacteriological examination and mortality rates. In order to accurately diagnose, and formulate optimum treatment strategies for Japanese patients, the categories of HCAP, as specified in the ATS/IDSA guidelines, should not be applied directly either to patients with NHAP or those with O-HCAP.
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Smoking cessation (SC) is recognized as reducing tobacco-associated mortality and morbidity. The effect of SC on nasal mucociliary clearance (MC) in smokers was evaluated during a 180-day period. ⋯ A SC programme contributed to improvement in MC among smokers from the 15th day after cessation of smoking, and these beneficial effects persisted for 180 days.