Lung Function

Pulmonary rehabilitation programmes are often costly and dependent on the infrastructure of specialised centres. We developed a modular, outpatient-based rehabilitation programme, which is inexpensive and can be implemented in a variety of settings. The aim of this study was to determine the effects and feasibility of this programme. Thirteen patients with COPD and 7 patients with asthma were enrolled by their primary care physician because of dyspnoea. Initial assessment included cardiopulmonary exercise testing, six-minute walking distance, lung function testing and multiple questionnaires addressing dyspnoea, depression and quality of life issues. The training consisted of 36 sessions of high intensity training of 2 hours duration to improve exercise tolerance, including 30 minutes of stationary cycling at the anaerobic threshold. Another complete assessment was done on completion of the study at 3 months. The six-minute walking distance improved significantly from 401 to 551 m (...

"Background: Exposure to air pollution adversely affects the respiratory system. This study aimed to assess the lung capacity of rickshaw pullers in Dhaka city, Bangladesh and their exposure to polluted air and determine their perception toward air pollution-induced disorders.
Methods: In this survey, a questionnaire and spirometry analysis were used to measure the lung function of 35 subjects, who were nonsmokers and had no prior respiratory problems. A SP10BT spirometer was used in a standing position to measure the forced vital capacity (FVC), one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, and peak expiratory flow (PEF). Data were analyzed using independent t-test.
Results: The mean values of FVC, FEV1, and PEF were significantly lower in the experimental group (urban rickshaw pullers) than the control group (rural rickshaw pullers) (P < 0.001). FEV1/FVC was also lower, while the difference was not significant. The majority of the subjects had various seasonal and environmental disorders since coming to Dhaka, and 46% of the respondents mostly had eye irritation, fever, and cough during winter, which decreased their ability to pull their rickshaws.
Conclusion: Air pollution had a measurable adverse impact on the pulmonary function of the urban rickshaw pullers compared to the rural control group."

Paparan debu kapas yang terus-menerus di tempat kerja dapat
menimbulkan gangguan kesehatan pernapasan seorang pekerja, terutama pekerja tekstil. Hal ini terjadi karena debu kapas merupakan campuran kompleks dari beberapa komponen yang dapat memicu reaksi dalam tubuh manusia, seperti respon alergi atau proses lain yang tidak dapat dipahami sepenuhnya. Tujuan dari scoping review ini adalah untuk menganalisis efek debu kapas terhadap nilai fungsi paru pada pekerja tekstil. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode scoping review berupa pencarian data beberapa artikel. Sampel berasal dari jurnal internasional yang berkaitan dengan efek debu kapas terhadap nilai fungsi paru pada pekerja tekstil. Database yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah Pubmed, Science Direct, Proquest, dan EBSCO, dengan jumlah artikel yang didapat sebanyak 1.436 artikel. Hasil skrining dan uji kelayakan sebanyak 15 artikel. Hasil scoping review menunjukkan bahwa dari 15 artikel, sebagian besar penelitian menyatakan pekerja yang terpapar debu kapas mengalami  penurunan nilai fungsi paru yang diukur setelah shift kerja dan memiliki nilai fungsi paru yang lebih rendah dibandingkan kelompok kontrol. Sebagian besar artikel menyatakan parameter fungsi paru yang dipengaruhi debu kapas adalah VEP1 dan berupa pola gangguan napas obstruktif. 
Berdasarkan kajian pada keseluruhan artikel, paparan debu kapas dapat
menurunkan nilai fungsi paru pada pekerja tekstil.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether it is possible to detect high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in aluminium powder workers, which are consistent with early stages of aluminosis. 62 male workers from 8 departments of two plants producing aluminium (Al) powder were investigated using a standardized questionnaire, physical examination, lung function analysis, biological monitoring of Al in plasma and urine, chest X-ray, HRCT and immunological tests. Chronic bronchitis was observed in 15 (24.2%) of the workers, and four workers (6.5%) reported shortness of breath during exercise. HRCT findings in 15 workers (24.2%) were characterized by ill-defined centrilobular nodular opacities. Workers with ill-defined centrilobular nodular opacities had a lower vital capacity than workers who had no such HRCT-findings (90.9 % pred. vs. 101.8 % pred., p = 0.01). Biological monitoring in plasma and urine revealed higher internal exposure to Al in affected workers (33.5 μ...

A Greek oil-tanker ran aground, resulting in a huge oil spill along the costal areas of Karachi, Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to assess the lung function and follow up change after one year in subjects exposed to crude oil spill in sea water. It was a cross sectional study with follow up in 20 apparently healthy, non-smoking, male workers, who were exposed to a crude oil spill environment during oil cleaning operation. The exposed group was matched with 31 apparently healthy male control subjects. Pulmonary function test was performed using an electronic Spirometer. Subjects exposed to polluted air have significant reduction in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1), forced expiratory flow (FEF25–75%) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) compared to their matched controls. This impairment was reversible and lung functions parameters were improved when the subjects were withdrawn from the polluted air environment.

Introduction: " Silver Yoga " program has been devised by Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research (CYTER) of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Pondicherry. Participants practiced the protocol that was specially designed for senior citizens, keeping in mind their health status and physical limitations.

The question of a causative interrelation between air pollution and respiratory status has received considerable attention by the mass media in our country. Schoolchildren aged 7 to 11 living in two communities with different levels of air pollution were studied. The parents of these children filled out a health questionnaire. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and pulmonary diseases was found to be significantly higher among children growing up in the polluted area (Tirnaveni) as compared with the low-pollution area (Dej). Lung function tests point out FEF25-75 disorders (and other lung disorders) at higher frequencies in schoolchildren living in the polluted area. Over 90% of schoolchildren living in the polluted area. Over 90% of schoolchildren with lung function disorders had a positive response to bronchodilatation. Of the schoolchildren with lung function disorders, 75.47% (p < 0,001) were atopic all of whom were sensitized to the down and house-dust.

Imipenem is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used mainly for serious infections in critically ill patients. Because the infection originates mostly from a certain tissue, we assessed tissue concentrations of imipenem using microdialysis in patients in intensive care with serious infections compared with healthy volunteers. Most patients were &gt;60 years old and had renal failure; most patients also had impaired liver, heart, or lung function. Muscle and subcutaneous tissue concentrations in patients (maximum of 2.3 +/- 1.5 microg/mL for both muscle and subcutaneous tissue) were significantly lower than those in healthy subjects (maximum of 12.8 +/- 1.6 and 10.7 +/- 1.0 microg/mL for muscle and subcutaneous tissue). The tissue distribution rate constants for muscle and subcutaneous tissue were also significantly lower in patients (1.95 +/- 0.6 and 1.1 +/- 0.2 h(-l), respectively) than in healthy subjects (5.2 +/- 1.0 and 6.6 +/- 1.7 h(-1), respectively), meaning that tissue distribution ...