Revue médicale suisse
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Revue médicale suisse · Nov 2012
[Systemic and oropharyngeal side effects of inhaled corticosteroids].
The use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is an important component of asthma management. Although their main impact is on airway inflammation, ICS are not devoid of systemic side effects (adrenal insufficiency, osteoporosis, brittle skin, ocular effects, growth retardation). Oropharyngeal side effects are also reported. ⋯ They also vary according to the type of ICS used, its method of administration and drug interactions. It is recommended to titrate ICS to the lowest effective dose, to regularly reconsider their indication and to be aware of drug interactions. In addition, a change in ICS may have a favorable impact on side effects.
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Revue médicale suisse · Nov 2012
Review Case Reports[Respiratory bronchiolitis and respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease].
The increasing use of chest CT imaging in medical practice rises the likelihood of the general practitioner to be confronted with cases of interstitial lung disease. Respiratory bronchiolitis (RB) and respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD) are two smoking-related lung damages that may have important implications for the patient's management. The authors present in this paper a review of current knowledge of the epidemiology, clinical features, prognosis, and treatment options of RB and RB-ILD.
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Lung cancer screening has been the focus of intense interest since the publication in 2011 of the NLST trial (National Lung Screening Trial) showing a mortality reduction in smokers undergoing 3-year screening by chest computed tomography. Although these data appear promising, many issues remain to be resolved, such as high rate of false positive cases, risk of overdiagnosis, optimal intervals between screens, duration of the screening process, feasibility, and cost. ⋯ Despite these uncertainties, several guidelines already state that screening should be performed in patients at risk, whereas investigators stress that more data are needed. How should the primary care physician deal with individual patients requests? This review provides some clues on this complex issue.
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Revue médicale suisse · Nov 2012
Comparative Study[Intermediate geriatric care in Geneva: experience of ten years].
Population aging has generated an increased demand for acute healthcare services in persons aged over 65, who may represent up to half of all patients treated in intensive care units (ICU). However, the number of available ICU beds is limited. ⋯ This article describes a 10-year, single centre experience at a geriatrics IntCU in Geneva. We observed a significant reduction in in-hospital mortality after the creation of the IntCU (2000-2001) compared to the 2 years immediately preceding its inception (1998-1999).