Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0010200 (cough)
 23,843 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Croup is a syndrome of inspiratory stridor, cough, and hoarseness, due to varying degrees of laryngeal obstruction. It is a viral disease and must be differentiated from epiglottitis. In addition to a careful clinical assessment, neck films are the most valuable diagnostic tool in differentiating these two. The principle modes of therapy for croup include provision of adequate hydration, ensuring maximum available humidification, sedation, and administration of intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB) with nebulized racemic epinephrine. The latter mode of therapy will provide symptomatic relief and may eliminate the need for hospitalization and tracheostomy. Steroids offer little benefit in treating this disease, and antibiotics offer none.
 ...
PMID:Recent advances in diagnosis and management of croup. 109 1

A 28 year-old homosexual man had one month history of intermittent high fever, nonproductive cough and progressive shortness of breath. He not only had immunity deficits, with decrease CD4 cells decreased CD8 cells and inverted CD4/CD8 ratio, but also presented with evidence of human immunodeficiency virus infection (positive ELISA antibody tests and Western blot tests). Chest X-ray showed diffuse pulmonary infiltration. The arterial blood gases revealed hypoxemia. The PaO2 was 69 mmHg. Spirometry showed FVC 2.28 L (45% predicted), FEV1 2.21 L (49% predicted), FEV1/FVC 93%, and MMEF 4.41 L/sec (90% predicted). The configuration of the Flow-Volume loop was consistent with a restrictive ventilatory defect. Transthoracic lung biopsy demonstrated pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). He had inadvertent steroid therapy and showed some clinical, pulmonary function and chest X-ray improvement before the diagnosis was established. Steroids might be as adjunctive therapy for a short period of time in treatment of PCP associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) at respiratory failure.
 ...
PMID:Pneumocystis Carinii pneumonia in an AIDS patient with dramatic response to inadvertent steroid therapy--a case report. 278 91

Children with asthma may be misdiagnosed when they present with chronic cough or wheezing following an upper respiratory infection. Such children are more appropriately treated with bronchodilators than with antibiotics and cough medicine. Failure to recognise these presentations of childhood asthma often lead to its increased morbidity. Inappropriate bronchodilator therapy and the failure to consider prophylactic drugs are common causes of poor control of childhood asthma. Wherever possible, the beta 2-sympathomimetics should be prescribed in the inhaled form. The inhalation methods and devices employed should be appropriate for the age of the child. Steroids are often necessary for good control in children with chronic asthma. Fear of their systemic side-effects may delay their use. These side-effects can be avoided if the inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate is used. The majority of chronic asthmatic children will improve with beclomethasone dipropionate without the need for additional oral steroids. It is important to note that successful management of childhood asthma does not only depend on the appropriate use of drugs but also the education of the child and parents on asthma.
 ...
PMID:Special problems in the management of chronic asthma in children. 331 49

Glucocorticosteroids represent the "drugs of choice" for treatment of sarcoidosis. Steroids can be given by all routes of administration. Daily therapy with oral steroids is most widely applied. Initial therapy should consist of prednisolone 30-60 mg/day or its equivalent. Alternate day therapy can be used during the maintenance phase. Inhaled steroids can also be tried during the maintenance phase for treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis. Other drugs, which may be effective in sarcoidosis, and have a steroid-sparing capacity, are methotrexate, azathioprine, chlorambucil and cyclophosphamide. Chloroquine can be used for chronic skin lesions and potassium para-aminobenzoate may soften fibrotic lesions and keloids. Duration of treatment varies with the clinical situation; from between 6 and 18 months to lifetime. In principle, continuing signs of disease activity and functional impairment require continuing treatment. Determination of on-going activity may be a difficult task. Symptomatic patients with stage II-III pulmonary sarcoidosis, and many extrapulmonary manifestations of the disease, must be adequately treated. Symptom-free patients with deteriorating lung function and/or biochemical signs of disease activity also require treatment. Steroids are not indicated for pulmonary stage I disease (hilar lymphadenopathy) with or without erythema nodosum unless there are troublesome persistent chest symptoms (cough, pain, pressure symptoms) or arthralgia, oedema and pain of the legs.
 ...
PMID:Treatment of sarcoidosis. 803 53

Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis (IPH) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent episodes of intrapulmonary bleeding, chronic iron deficiency anaemia and pulmonary fibrosis. IPH is a diagnosis made by exclusion of other causes. It occurs in both adults and children. Other conditions than IPH can cause pulmonary haemosiderosis. The etiology is unknown, but might be an immunological mechanism causing a defect in the basement membrane of the pulmonary capillary. IPH should be suspected in patients with recurrent episodes of coughing, haemoptysis, dyspnoea and anaemia. Chest X-ray shows pulmonary infiltrates during an acute attack. Examination of sputum or lung biopsy discloses large numbers of haemosiderin-laden pulmonary macrophages. The mortality-rate is high, but the prognosis is difficult to evaluate because many patients survive for a long time either with a course of recurrent attacks or with chronic symptoms, such as dyspnoea and persistent anaemia. Steroids may improve the condition of the patient during a bleeding episode.
 ...
PMID:[Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis]. 863 26

The history of antiarrhythmic therapy reveals these agents to be associated with a high incidence of toxicity. Although several agents have ocular effects, amiodarone is the most widely recognized for producing adverse effects in the eyes. Corneal microdeposits are almost ubiquitous in patients being treated with amiodarone. However, they are, for the most part, benign and produce no changes in visual acuity. Lack of microdeposits should prompt the physician to investigate whether there is a problem with drug absorption or adherence to therapy. Other effects on the eye have been reported including optic neuropathy, but no causal link has been proved with amiodarone. The population of patients treated with amiodarone often have ischemic disease and/or diabetes, which affect retinal and optic nerve health. Many antiarrhythmic agents also affect lung function. The frequent association of procainamide with a lupus-like syndrome, where half the cases develop pleural-pericardial involvement, may require discontinuation of that drug. Although beta blockers and to a lesser degree, calcium antagonists, may cause bronchospasm in some patients, this is not usually a major clinical problem. Again, it is amiodarone that has the most widespread reputation for causing pulmonary toxicity. Although infrequent (< 1% incidence), it generates the most fear as it is sometimes fatal. Because of the lack of a diagnostic "gold standard," it is often overdiagnosed, placing patients at risk from overlooked congestive heart failure and infections and from recurrent arrhythmias after drug withdrawal. Patients with pre-existing pulmonary disease appear to be more at risk. Common features include indolent onset of cough, malaise and fever associated with patchy peripheral infiltrates, and severely decreased diffusion capacity. Several cases of pulmonary toxicity have had inordinately high serum desethylamiodarone to amiodarone ratios. Most cases recover with cessation of amiodarone therapy. Steroids are commonly used, but are of unproved efficacy. In terms of its toxicity, amiodarone remains the most feared of the antiarrhythmic agents. In the future, a better understanding of its pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of toxicity, and optimal dosing regimens should provide a possibility of better strategies for avoidance, early diagnosis, and more directed therapy of toxicities associated with amiodarone.
 ...
PMID:Clinical organ toxicity of antiarrhythmic compounds: ocular and pulmonary manifestations. 1056 58

Organising pneumonia (OP) is a rare syndrome that has been associated with a variety of underlying disorders, including infections, collagen vascular diseases, toxic fumes, cancer, drugs and radiotherapy. Cryptogenic form is also observed. Steroids are usually effective in the treatment of OP, but other treatment regimens have been used as well. We present 5 women with OP, age ranged 57-76 years (mean - 67 years). Two of them were smokers and three were non-smokers. One patient was treated because of hyperthyreosis, one of COPD, and four had a hypertension. Four of them were diagnosed by the open lung biopsy and one by transbronchial lung biopsy. Dyspnoea (100%), cough (100%), fever (80%), weight loss (40%), chest pain (20%), were the most frequently noticed symptoms. All patients had bilateral consolidations with areas of ground glass attenuations at chest x-ray and HRCT. Migratory pattern of them was observed in four patients. Significant elevation of antibodies titers against Chlamydia pneumoniae was revealed in two patients. In all patients clarithromycin in a dose 0.5 g b.d. was administrated. Complete clinical and radiological remission was obtained after 3 months of clarithromycin therapy in 3 patients (one had Chlamydia antibodies). Two patients had not obtained significant improvement during the first two weeks of therapy so prednisolone in a dose 0.5 mg/kg/d was introduced. Also complete remission was noticed in these patients. The observation period ranged from 8 months to 4 years (mean - 34 months). Our study confirms that OP can be treated by the use of clarithromycin. It may be the alternative treatment, particularly for patients in whom probability of adverse reactions in the course of steroid treatment is high.
 ...
PMID:[Organizing pneumonia--own experiences with clarithromycin treatment]. 1632 49

Pulmonary involvement in Sweet's syndrome (SS) is rare. We report a case of SS with severe respiratory involvement responding to corticosteroid therapy. A 82-year-old man presented fever of 39 degrees C associated with cough and dyspnea, and crackles in the left lung. The infection work-up was negative. Chest X-ray showed cardiomegaly and left lower lobe pulmonary infiltrates. Pulmonary signs did not improve on treatment with antibiotics, and after 1 week maculopapular lesions appeared, localized on the knees, the periombilical area and the back. The antibiotics were changed without improvement. A skin biopsy revealed infiltration by neutrophilic granulocytes and marked edema in the dermis, consistent with SS. The patient's condition progressively worsened, requiring high oxygenotherapy, and he was transferred to an intensive care unit. Chest X-ray revealed an important alveolar and interstitial syndrome. Bronchoalveolar lavage found 170 leukocytes with 30% neutrophils (N < 5%), 7% lymphocytes and 63% macrophages. A search for bacteria, viruses or parasites in bronchoalveolar lavage was negative. The patient was treated with antibiotics, a high dose of furosemide and steroids for 4 days. Because the patient improved dramatically within 5 days, with a negative infection work-up and a dramatic decrease of C-reactive protein, the antibiotics were stopped. Steroids were secondarily tapered very slowly. A chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed a substantial improvement of pulmonary lesions. We also review the 22 cases of pulmonary involvement of SS reported in the literature.
 ...
PMID:Pulmonary involvement in Sweet's syndrome: a case report and review of the literature. 1679 26

55-year male of Asian descent presented with weight loss, lethargy, drowsiness and low grade fever without cough. Examination revealed crackles in the chest but no focal neurological deficit. Chest X ray revealed an infiltrate consistent with tuberculosis. Biopsy of infiltrate was negative for malignancy. Corrected calcium level revealed parathyroid independent hypercalcemia. Further diagnostic work up for drowsiness and hypercalcemia was normal. Despite receiving hydration and pharmacotherapy for his hypercalcemia, his condition failed to improve. When steroids were started, the patient's calcium levels and symptomatology resolved. Tuberculosis causing hypercalcemia is uncommon. Steroids are useful agents, particularly in refractory cases.
 ...
PMID:Middle aged male with pulmonary tuberculosis and refractory hypercalcemia at a tertiary care centre in South East Asia: a case report. 1982 85

Many distal airway foreign bodies present as obstructive atelectasis and may be removed using instruments passed through rigid bronchoscopes. Deeply impacted distal foreign bodies remain problematic and sometimes require thoracotomy. The purpose of this paper is to discuss alternate approaches to avoid open surgical removal. A clinical algorithm is outlined. A young child presented to the hospital with an episode of coughing and oxygen desaturation. A chest radiograph demonstrated a radiopaque foreign body in the right upper lobe with distal atelectasis. The foreign body could not be found using rigid bronchoscopy so a flexible bronchoscope (3.5mm) was used to identify the distal primary tooth that was lodged in the inflamed tertiary segment of the bronchus. The tooth could not be removed using instruments passed through the sideport of the bronchoscope including balloon catheters, ureteral baskets, and biopsy forceps. The catheters were too compliant to reach the upper lobe and the forceps could not engage the tooth. A decision was made to treat the child with steroids and attempt removal 48 h later. The inflammation had resolved and the tooth had shifted positions to a more accessible left lower lobe tertiary segment. Using fluoroscopy with guide wires through the endotracheal tube, the tooth was removed. Tools used by different services are available as well to retrieve foreign bodies and may obviate the need for thoracotomy. Steroids decreased swelling allowing better access to the foreign body.
 ...
PMID:Distal airway foreign bodies: Importance of a stepwise approach, knowledge of equipment and utilization of other services' expertise. 2159 93


1 2 Next >>