BMC pulmonary medicine
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Sep 2005
Clinical TrialInfluence of condensation temperature on selected exhaled breath parameters.
The effects of changes in cooling temperature on biomarker levels in exhaled breath condensate have been little investigated. The aim of the study was to test the effect of condensation temperature on the parameters of exhaled breath condensate and the levels of selected biomarkers. ⋯ The cooling temperature of exhaled breath condensate collection influenced selected biomarkers and potential normalizing factors (particularly conductivity) in different ways ex vivo. The temperature of exhaled breath condensate collection should be controlled and reported.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2005
A new paradigm in respiratory hygiene: increasing the cohesivity of airway secretions to improve cough interaction and reduce aerosol dispersion.
Infectious respiratory diseases are transmitted to non-infected subjects when an infected person expels pathogenic microorganisms to the surrounding environment when coughing or sneezing. When the airway mucus layer interacts with high-speed airflow, droplets are expelled as aerosol; their concentration and size distribution may each play an important role in disease transmission. Our goal is to reduce the aerosolizability of respiratory secretions while interfering only minimally with normal mucus clearance using agents capable of increasing crosslinking in the mucin glycoprotein network. ⋯ The aerosolizability of MS was modified by increasing its cohesivity, thereby reducing the number of particles expelled from the SCM while interfering minimally with its clearance on the frog palate. An unexpected finding is that MS crosslinking increased "expectoration".
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Nov 2003
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (Siewert's/Kartagener's syndrome): respiratory symptoms and psycho-social impact.
Although the pathophysiological defect in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD; Siewert's/Kartagener's syndrome) is now well characterised, there are few studies of the impact of the condition upon health function, particularly in later life. This study assesses the health impact of the condition in a large group of patients. In addition, it assesses the similarity in age of diagnosis, symptoms and problems of those with situs inversus (PCD-SI) and those with situs solitus (PCD-SS). ⋯ PCD is a chronic condition which has a progressively greater impact on health in the second half of life, producing significant morbidity and restriction of life style. Early diagnosis, and hence earlier treatment, may improve symptoms and the impact of the condition.