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Query: UMLS:C0010200 (cough)
 23,843 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Three green mills and two dry mills were studied for personal exposure to wood dust and biohazards associated with wood dust and their correlation to lung function and work-related symptoms among sawmill workers. The levels of exposure to endotoxin, (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan, bacteria and fungi were high in green mills compared with dry mills. Compared with dry mill workers, green mill workers had significantly high prevalence of regular cough, chronic bronchitis, regular blocked nose, regular sneezing, sinus problems, flu-like symptoms, and eye and throat irritation. Significant positive correlations were found among endotoxin and Gram (-)ve bacteria, (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan and fungi, and endotoxin and (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan exposure levels. Significant dose-response relationships were found for personal exposures and lung function, and lung function and work-related respiratory symptoms. The significant correlations found for respirable fractions show that not only inhalable but also respirable fractions are important in determining potential health effects of exposure to wood dust. The management and employees of the sawmilling industry should be educated on the potential health effects of wood dust. Wood dust should be controlled at the source.
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PMID:Effects of personal exposures on pulmonary function and work-related symptoms among sawmill workers. 1083 32

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is now recognized as a significant problem in certain adult populations. These include the elderly, persons with cardiopulmonary diseases, and immunocompromised hosts. Epidemiological evidence indicates that the impact of RSV in older adults may be similar to that of nonpandemic influenza. In addition, RSV has been found to cause 2 to 5% of adult community-acquired pneumonias. Attack rates in nursing homes are approximately 5 to 10% per year, with significant rates of pneumonia (10 to 20%) and death (2 to 5%). Clinical features may be difficult to distinguish from those of influenza but include nasal congestion, cough, wheezing, and low-grade fever. Bone marrow transplant patients prior to marrow engraftment are at highest risk for pneumonia and death. Diagnosis of RSV infection in adults is difficult because viral culture and antigen detection are insensitive, presumably due to low viral titers in nasal secretions, but early bronchoscopy is valuable in immunosuppressed patients. Treatment of RSV in the elderly is largely supportive, whereas early therapy with ribavirin and intravenous gamma globulin is associated with improved survival in immunocompromised persons. An effective RSV vaccine has not yet been developed, and thus prevention of RSV infection is limited to standard infection control practices such as hand washing and the use of gowns and gloves.
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PMID:Respiratory syncytial virus infection in adults. 1088 82

In 1997, passengers on North American cruises developed acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs); influenza was suspected. We reviewed 1 ship's medical records for 3 cruises: cruise 1 (31 August to 10 September 1997), cruise 2 (11-20 September 1997), and cruise 3 (20-30 September 1997). Medically attended ARI was defined as any 2 of the following symptoms: fever (temperature, > or =37.8 degrees C) or feverishness, sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, chills, myalgia, and arthralgia. During cruise 2, we collected nasopharyngeal swabs for viral culture from people with ARI and surveyed passengers for self-reported ARI (defined as above except feverishness was substituted for fever). The outbreak probably began among Australian passengers on cruise 1 (relative risk, 3.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.89-5.77). Of 1284 passengers on cruise 2, 215 (17%) reported ARI, 994 (77%) were aged > or =65 years, and 336 (26%) had other risk factors for respiratory complications. An influenza strain not previously identified in North America was isolated. We concluded that an "off-season" influenza outbreak occurred among international travelers and crew on board this cruise ship.
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PMID:Cruise ships: high-risk passengers and the global spread of new influenza viruses. 1098 1

A 44-year-old patient died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) after nine years of heavy exposure to cadmium (Cd) in a nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery factory. Two years after starting work he and co-workers had experienced pruritus, loss of smell, nasal congestion, nosebleeds, cough, shortness of breath, severe headaches, bone pain, and proteinuria. Upper back pain and muscle weakness progressed to flaccid paralysis. EMG findings were consistent with motor neuron disease. Cd impairs the blood-brain barrier, reduces levels of brain copper-zinc (Cu-Zn) superoxide dismutase (SOD), and enhances excitoxicity of glutamate via up-regulation of glutamate dehydrogenase and down-regulation of glutamate uptake in glial cells. High levels of methallothionein, a sign of exposure to heavy metals, have been found in brain tissue of deceased ALS patients. The effects of Cd on enzyme systems that mediate neurotoxicity and motor neuron disease suggest a cause effect relationship between Cd and ALS in this worker.
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PMID:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a battery-factory worker exposed to cadmium. 1137 40

Corticosteroids intended for inhalation into the lungs or into the nose have been used since the 1970s. Only 2 attempts to assess contact allergy attributable to inhaled corticosteroids in patients with asthma and/or rhinitis have been made, and only 1 single case of contact allergy attributable to budesonide and tixocortol pivalate was found. However, several case reports of allergic mucosal and skin symptoms caused by corticosteroids applied locally to the mucosa have been published. Local adverse effects from nasal corticosteroids have ranged from nasal congestion, pruritus, burning, and soreness to perforation of the nasal septum. Inhalation of corticosteroids into the lungs has been reported to cause pruritus, dryness, erythema and oedema of the mouth, a dry cough and odynophagia. Systemic signs reported from the use of nasal corticosteroids and inhalation of corticosteroids into the lungs have been eczematous lesions, particularly on the face, sometimes with spreading to the trunk and flexures. Urticaria has also been noted.
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PMID:Skin reactions to inhaled corticosteroids. 1141 63

Atopic dermatitis is a typical chronic inflammatory skin disease that usually occurs in individuals with a personal or family history of atopy. Children with atopic dermatitis frequently present IgE-mediated food sensitization, the most commonly involved foods being egg and cow's milk. However, controversy currently surrounds whether food allergy is an etiological factor in atopic dermatitis or whether it is simply an associated factor, accompanying this disease as one more expression of the patient's atopic predisposition. Approximately 40 % of neonates and small children with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis present food allergy confirmed by double-blind provocation tests but this allergy does not seem to be the cause of dermatitis since in many cases onset occurs before the food responsible for allergic sensitization is introduced into the newborn's diet.Studies of double-blind provocation tests with food in patients with atopic dermatitis demonstrate mainly immediate reactions compatible with an IgE-mediated allergy. These reactions occur between 5 minutes and 2 hours and present mainly cutaneous symptoms (pruritus, erythema, morbilliform exanthema, wheals) and to a lesser extent, digestive manifestations (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea), as well as respiratory symptoms (wheezing, nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing). However, these reactions do not indicate the development of dermatitis.Some authors believe that responses to the food in provocation tests may also be delayed, appearing mainly in the following 48 hours, and clinically manifested as exacerbation of dermatitis. However, delayed symptoms are difficult to diagnose and attributing these symptoms to a particular foodstuff may not be possible.Delayed reactions have been attributed to a non-IgE-mediated immunological mechanism and patch tests with food have been proposed for their diagnosis. In our experience and in that of other authors, the results of patch tests with cow's milk do not seem very specific and could be due, at least in part, to the irritant effect of these patches on the reactive skin of children with atopic dermatitis.The involvement of foods in atopic dermatitis will always be difficult to demonstrate given that an exclusion diet is not usually required for its resolution. Food is just one among several possible exacerbating factors and consequently identification of its precise role in the course of the disease is difficult. Further double-blind prospective studies are required to demonstrate the effectiveness of exclusion diets in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.Apart from the controversy surrounding the etiological role of foods, the most important point in atopic dermatitis is to understand that the child is atopic, that is, predisposed to developing sensitivity to environmental allergens; in the first few years of life to foods and subsequently to aeroallergens. Consequently, possible allergic sensitization to foods should be evaluated in children with atopic dermatitis to avoid allergic reactions and to prevent the possible development of allergic respiratory disease later in life.
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PMID:[Etiologic implication of foods in atopic dermatitis: evidence against]. 1198 42

Respiratory viruses and their complications are the most common diseases after dental caries, and the most important single cause of medical consultations. They are the 2nd leading cause of hospitalization and mortality in infants. The challenge in respiratory infections is to prevent complications. Since most respiratory infections are treated in the home, preventive interventions should begin there. Respiratory infections do not depend greatly on environmental conditions, they are not preventable by vaccination, and their course in the great majority of cases is self-limiting and benign. Respiratory viruses are characterized by a symptom complex which represents the reaction of the organism to the viral infection. Although the symptoms may be annoying, they play an important role in preventing bacterial complications. Nasal secretions contain substances that limit the virus and impede secondary bacterial infection. Nasal congestion should be treated only by aiding the evacuation of secretions. Nasal obstruction and resulting respiration through the mouth allow unfiltered air to reach the bronchial passages, causing irritation or contamination. Use of local or systemic decongestants or antihistamines may contribute to complications by decreasing defenses. Treatment of inflamed pharynx or tonsils with antiinflammatories is counterproductive because it too interferes with the body's defenses against viral invasion. Viral laryngitis should be treated only with steam vapor and never with steroids, which diminish the body's antiviral defenses and can produce serious side effects. Coughs are the body's means of evacuating viral secretions and should be aided only by ensuring adequate hydration to maintain the fluidity of the secretions. Expectorants should be used only in cases of chronic bronchitis. Coughs resulting from bronchial obstruction, cases in which bronchial dynamics are hyperactive, and dry and unproductive coughs resulting from pharyngeal irritation are the only ones that should be treated. Fever it probably the defense mechanism that has elicited the greatest treatment efforts. Lowering the fever through medication does nothing to fight the virus but makes children feel well enough to resume playing outside, thereby increasing the risk of secondary bacterial infection. Children with fevers should be kept hydrated. Only in the case of pain should medication be given to lower the fever. Aspirin should be avoided in children. An untreated fever provides information on the course of the disease: spontaneous decline followed by a rise may indicate bacterial infection.
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PMID:[Combatting fever, phlegm and cough]. 1234 10

Allergic reactions are among the most common conditions affecting the health of workers involved in the care and use of research animals. Between 11 and 44% of the individuals working with laboratory animals report work-related allergic symptoms. Of those who become symptomatic, 4 to 22% may eventually develop occupational asthma that can persist even after exposure ceases. Allergic symptoms consist of rashes where animals are in contact with the skin, nasal congestion and sneezing, itchy eyes, and asthma (cough, wheezing, and chest tightness). The generation of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies is a prerequisite for the production of allergic symptoms. The mechanism by which IgE antibodies develop is becoming clearer. The propensity to produce IgE is genetically determined, and pre-existing allergy may be a risk factor for the development of laboratory animal allergy (LAA). However, exposure to animal allergens is the major risk factor for the development of LAA. Techniques to measure the airborne concentration of laboratory animal allergens have been developed. Research on animal allergens themselves indicates that many of the mouse and rat urinary proteins belong to a family of proteins called lipocalins, which share sequence homology with antigens of the parasitic agent that causes schistosomiasis. The fact that parasite infections also trigger IgE antibody responses may account for the development of LAA in persons who have never had any previous allergy. The prevention of LAA should be a major goal of an effective health and safety program in the animal research facility, and it can be accomplished by education and training of employees, reduction of exposure (including the use of personal protective gear), and changes in facility design. Medical surveillance programs can also play a role in improving health of individuals working with laboratory research animals. Early recognition of symptoms and evidence of sensitization can lead to interventions to reduce exposure and thereby avoid the long-term health consequences of LAA.
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PMID:Laboratory animal allergy: an update. 1247 29

Menthol, in lozenges, nasal sprays, vapo-rubs, inhalers, and cough syrups, is widely used as a treatment for rhinitis that is associated with acute upper respiratory tract infection and allergy. Menthol as a plant extract has been used in traditional medicine in Asia for the treatment of respiratory diseases for hundreds of years, but it was only introduced to the West as a medicine at the end of the 19th century. With the recent discovery of a menthol receptor on the sensory nerves that modulate the cool sensation, menthol has graduated from the realms of herbal medicine into the field of molecular pharmacology. This review concerns the physiologic and pharmacologic mechanisms that underlie the widespread use of menthol as a treatment for the relief of nasal congestion associated with rhinitis and its effects on the drive to breathe and symptomatic relief of dyspnea.
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PMID:Menthol: effects on nasal sensation of airflow and the drive to breathe. 1266 69

Parenting books often provide advice for common medical ailments of infants and toddlers. However, the accuracy of such advice has never been evaluated. The purpose of this study is to survey the informational content of a sample of parenting books. Fifty general parenting books were identified and reviewed for the informational content on the following topics: common colds, diarrhea, and otitis media. When covered by the book, accurate and consistent information was generally provided in the following topic areas: non-medicated nose drops for nasal congestion, upright positioning for children with colds, breastfeeding infants with diarrhea, electrolyte solutions for diarrhea, and feeding practices as they relate to otitis media. The following topic areas displayed significant inconsistency: the use of decongestants, antihistamines, expectorants, cough suppressants, and decongestant nose drops for colds; antidiarrheal medications; soft drinks and juice for diarrhea; home recipes for oral hydration solutions; and the usefulness of pressure equalization tubes for refractory otitis media. Practitioners should be aware that parents may be misinformed by some parenting books and take measures to educate parents.
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PMID:Survey of parenting books for advice on the common cold, diarrhea, and otitis media in infants and toddlers. 1537 53


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