Thorax
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Effect of a single dose of salmeterol on the increase in airway eosinophils induced by allergen challenge in asthmatic subjects.
The long acting beta2 agonist salmeterol is very effective in preventing asthmatic responses to specific stimuli, and this effect could theoretically be due to some anti-inflammatory property in addition to bronchodilator property. ⋯ A single dose of salmeterol inhibits the allergen induced airway responses and the increase in sputum eosinophils after allergen challenge.
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Methods of classifying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) depend largely upon spirometric measurements but disability is only weakly related to measurements of lung function. With the increased use of pulmonary rehabilitation, a need has been identified for a simple and standardised method of categorising disability in COPD. This study examined the validity of the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea scale for this purpose. ⋯ The MRC dyspnoea scale is a simple and valid method of categorising patients with COPD in terms of their disability that could be used to complement FEV1 in the classification of COPD severity.
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Comparative Study
Prevalence of atopy, asthma symptoms and diagnosis, and the management of asthma: comparison of an affluent and a non-affluent country.
The prevalence of childhood asthma and of atopy varies widely between countries. However, few studies have compared the pattern of diagnosis and management of asthma, or the role of atopy in predisposing to asthma between a less affluent country and a more affluent country. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of symptoms, diagnosis, and management of asthma, and the prevalence of atopy as measured by skin prick tests in Nigeria and Australia using a standardised methodology. ⋯ Although there was a similar prevalence of atopy in both countries, Australian children had a higher prevalence of asthma symptoms. Further studies are needed to determine why atopic children in Australia are more at risk of developing asthma. Such studies will have important implications for the prevention of asthma.