OBJECTIVE: Following recent data showing that an inflammatory response exists in the amniotic fluid of gastroschisis-affected fetuses, we hypothesized that amniotic fluid exchange or amnioinfusion would improve the prognosis of prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis. METHODS: We compared the outcome of prenatally amnioinfused fetuses with gastroschisis to non-amnioinfused fetuses with gastroschisis. 10 ...

Camp Superteens, an asthma self-management educational program, was designed for and offered to adolescents ages 13 to 16 at a large local shopping mall. The 6-hour program was divided into four main categories: presentation of asthma information; non-pharmacological management; pharmacological management; and dealing with self and others. A pilot study ...

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that a simple submaximal "step-test" could be used as an exercise challenge to identify elementary school students with suspected but undiagnosed asthma. This article also describes a protocol for exercise testing that can be used in epidemiological evaluations. School age children grades ...

BACKGROUND: Neutralizing antibodies (NAB) to interferon beta (IFNbeta) occur in about one-third of MS patients treated with IFNbeta-1b and there is an association with a loss of clinical and MRI efficacy. However, there are no data regarding the bioavailability of IFNbeta-1b in patients with and without NAB. METHODS: The authors ...

Carbon monoxide is known to be present in measurable quantities in the exhaled air of normal subjects and at higher concentrations in asthmatic patients not treated with glucocorticoids. To examine whether exhaled CO is useful in monitoring asthma control, time course changes in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and exhaled ...

Increased prevalence of asthma is commonly though to be associated with increased air pollution and with lifestyle changes. This study evaluates a possible relationship of levels of exposure to outdoor pollutants and exercise-induced asthma prevalence. Two groups of students (age 14-17) in distant urban areas were randomly selected (n = ...

Young babies occasionally have aberrant orofacial movements that may appear to be the cause of their breastfeeding difficulties. There has been a trend to treat this by introducing corrective exercises for the affected muscle(s). Such treatments have had their bases in therapeutic measures that were originally designed for severely neurologically ...

THE PERSISTENCE OF AIRWAY INFLAMMATION is believed to cause the mechanical changes and symptoms of asthma. After decades of research, a new class of medication has emerged that focuses on leukotrienes, mediators of inflammation. These substances are potent inducers of bronchoconstriction, increased vascular permeability and mucus production, and they potentiate ...

EIA is a unique physical allergy with increasing incidence as the exercising population increases. Clinical features are indistinguishable from IgE-mediated anaphylaxis in which the offending allergens are known (food or insect stings). Recognition of the association with exercise is crucial. A wide variety of exercises can induce the symptoms, including ...

BACKGROUND: Meteorological conditions and a high concentration of air pollutants have been associated with increased respiratory morbidity. However, few studies have examined the association between asthma exacerbation and air pollution. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, the possible relationship of the concentration of black smoke and SO2 in the air, the ...

BACKGROUND: Breathlessness in asthma often cannot be explained with objective variables indicating airways obstruction. The hypothesis that unrealistic breathlessness results from false interpretation of sensations was tested. METHODS: Sixty-four children and adolescents with asthma, aged 9-18 years, were randomly assigned to; (1) standardized physical exercise for induction of general symptoms; ...

Exercise-induced asthma: diagnosis and treatment for the recreational or elite athlete. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 1 (Suppl.), pp. S33-S38, 1999. Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is found in 10-50% of recreational and elite athletes, depending on the population studied. The diagnosis may be made with symptoms (cough, wheeze, chest ...

Gender identity disorder (GID) is characterized by strong and persistent cross-gender identification and by persistent discomfort with one's sex. This paper reviews reports of GID in which adolescent psychotherapy patients initially desired sex reassignment. In addition, four case studies of adolescents with GID, demonstrating different outcomes of psychotherapy, are presented. ...

The relationship between asthma and exercise and the resultant disability (ie, the impact on activities of daily living, including physical activity) shows wide interpatient and intrapatient variability, being influenced not only by the disease but additional psychosocial variables. There are a variety of helpful pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic measures in dealing ...

A clinical study was conducted to determine the efficacy of terbinafine cream in severe cases of tinea pedis. The subjects were 21 men, members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces who were judged to have severe symptoms of tinea pedis. The description 'severe' was defined as 'considered to require the concurrent ...

This study tested the hypothesis that cough frequency during induced airway obstruction in children and adolescents with asthma relates significantly to other symptoms. The second hypothesis was that cough during remission may often be a conditioned or voluntary response. In experiment 1, tracheal sounds were recorded from 30 participants with ...

Two ethanolic dry extracts from the herb Chelidonium majus L. with a defined content of the main alkaloids (chelidonine, protopine, and coptisisine) and the alkaloids themselves were studied in three different antispasmodic test models on isolated ileum of guinea-pigs. In the BaCl2-stimulated ileum, chelidonine and protopine exhibited the known papaverine-like ...

The mechanisms linking inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in allergic bronchial asthma are still not completely defined. Since neurotrophic factors increase nerve excitability and neurotransmitter synthesis and are produced by immunocompetent cells, they are likely candidates as mediators of inflammation and hyperresponsiveness. We tested the hypothesis that neurotrophin concentrations will increase ...

The purpose of this study was to determine whether inactive asthmatic patients could perform high-intensity physical training equally well on land as in water, and to compare the effects of these training forms. Thirty-two adults with asthma, randomized into two groups, underwent a 10-week supervised rehabilitation program with emphasis on ...

After years of research, the components of slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis have been identified as the cysteinyl leukotrienes C4, D4, and E4. Leukotrienes are now known to be important mediators of chronic asthma. Leukotrienes cause bronchoconstriction, oedema, and mucus secretion in models of asthma and are produced in excess quantities ...

We have evaluated the prevalence and the characteristics of exercise-induced asthma (EIA) in a group of 71 patients with a prior history of mild, moderate or severe asthma (42 males and 29 females), aged 6-16 years-old. Measurements of the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) were obtained before and ...

Every young person with a respiratory disability should be given the opportunity to maximize his or her exercise potential. Conditions such as asthma, affecting some 14 to 15 million people and cystic fibrosis (CF), affecting about 30,000 people in the U.S., may exclude young people from sports participation. And yet ...

BACKGROUND: The number of peak expiratory flow (PEF) readings required per day to assess diurnal variation accurately is not known; published studies have used between two and seven PEF readings per day. This study compares the diurnal variation calculated using 2-10 PEF readings per day. METHODS: All days with 10 ...

Peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring is often used to establish the relationship between occupational exposure and asthma. FEV1 has been found to be a better physiologic index than PEF in the measurement of airflow obstruction. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of serial monitoring of PEF ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist, attenuates exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in 6- to 14-year-old children with asthma. STUDY DESIGN: Double-blind, multicenter, 2-period crossover study. Children (n = 27) with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) > or =70% of the predicted value and a fall in ...

Standardization of conditions for peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring is much more difficult in practice than for laboratory spirometry. Patients are usually asked to record PEF before medication. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of prior bronchodilator use on PEF outcome measures in a clinical trial. ...

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) occurs in the majority of patients with asthma. The relationship between asthma and gastro-oesophageal reflux (GER) is well defined, and the reports of exertional gastro-oesophageal acid reflux in healthy subjects, prompted us to study the relationship between EIB and GER. Following an overnight fast and medication withholding, ...

Treatment for exercise induced asthma (EIA) in sporting competition is controlled to prevent the use of agents which might enhance physical performance. There is little information concerning the effects of the long-acting inhaled, and oral, sustained release type bronchodilators on the cardiorespiratory effects of submaximal exercise. The aim of this ...

BACKGROUND: Patients with mild asthma frequently have only exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, a symptom of inadequate control of asthma. We evaluated the ability of montelukast, a leukotriene-receptor antagonist, to protect such patients against exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. METHODS: We randomly assigned 110 patients (age, 15 to 45 years) with mild asthma and a decrease ...

The standard exercise recommendation -20 to 30 minutes at 60% to 85% of maximum heart rate four or five times a week- should be part of asthma management. Not only will patients benefit in a general way, but improved fitness is likely to reduce airway reactivity and medication use. The ...

Zafirlukast is an orally active and selective cysteinyl leukotriene (cysLT) receptor antagonist. In humans, zafirlukast antagonized the effects of exogenously administered LTD4 and cysLTs released endogenously in response to physical and chemical stimuli. Zafirlukast antagonized LTD4-induced bronchoconstriction, with effects still evident 12 h after drug administration. In clinical models of ...

Years ago, everyone thought strenuous physical activity was dangerous if you had asthma, but now we know better. Exercise is not only safe if done properly, it's an integral part of treatment. Regular workouts will make you stronger and more energetic and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and ...

During the 30-year period 1961-1990, a total of 22 deaths with criminal multilation/dismemberment of the human body were registered in Sweden. The multilations occurred in time clusters, mostly during the summer and winter periods, and increased during the three decades, with incidence rates of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.125 per million ...

BACKGROUND: Sequential administration of a beta-agonist and cromolyn or nedocromil before exercise is recommended for patients whose symptoms are not controlled by beta-agonists alone; however, this practice reduces compliance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a new pre-combined aerosol formulation (salbutamol and nedocromil) in preventing exercise-induced bronchoconstriction and to compare ...

Exercise-induced asthma is the phenomenon of transient airflow obstruction, typically 5 to 15 minutes after physical exertion. The increased airway resistance produces a 15% or greater decrease in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second, or in peak expiratory flow rate. Exercise-induced asthma occurs in 90% of individuals with asthma, ...

BACKGROUND: There is a controversy over the occurrence of a late asthmatic response during exercise-induced asthma. While some workers have documented such a response as a genuine phenomenon, others have attributed this to drug withdrawal. OBJECTIVES: We carried out the present study to investigate whether a late asthmatic response occurs ...

BACKGROUND: Approximately one third of patients with allergy-induced asthma who are treated with aerosolized cromolyn sodium (CS) fail to achieve a full therapeutic effect. This lack of effectiveness could involve nonhomogeneous distribution of drug in the lung as a result of high inspiratory flow rates. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine ...

PURPOSE: To estimate the sensitivities, specificities, and predictive values of exercise challenge and questionnaire, when these tests are used to diagnose asthma in children. METHODS: Participants were children, predominantly aged 6 to 12 years, selected from three primary school grades among 18 different schools in Montreal. Of 1111 participants, 989 ...

Several malformed individuals were presented at the World Exhibition in Antwerp in 1894. Among them was Mrs. Alice Vance from Mount Pleasant, Texas, with congenital limb defects, and Mr. Eugen Berry, who had asymmetrical, monstrous enlargement and macrodactyly of the feet, i.e., Proteus syndrome. After the World Exhibition Mrs. Vance ...

BACKGROUND: Children with asthma are vulnerable to negative emotions, but clinical observations and research suggest that negative emotions can also be precipitants of asthma attacks. Empirical data provided mixed results. The hypothesis was tested that negative emotions influence subjective rather than objective symptoms of asthma, breathlessness and airways obstruction, respectively. ...

A zoo animal handler developed bronchial asthma for the first time from handling orangutans (Pongo pygmaes). He had prior allergic reactions (rhinoconjunctivitis and urticarial rash), but no asthma, to deer and other hoofed animals in the zoo. In a worksite challenge, immediate and late onset of asthmatic symptoms and airflow ...

We measured markers of eosinophilic inflammation in the blood and in the sputum induced by hypertonic saline (HS) inhalation of 24 subjects with occupational asthma who were still exposed to high molecular weight compounds (HMWCs, n = 8) or to low molecular weight compounds (LMWCs, n = 16); all subjects ...

BACKGROUND: Peanut allergy is characterized by a high frequency of severe and occasionally fatal reactions. OBJECTIVE: To determine if there are features of the in vitro cellular response that may account for the observed severity of peanut allergy. METHODS: Skin-prick testing (SPT), RAST assay of serum peanut-specific and total IgE ...

OBJECTIVES: Qigong Yangsheng, the health-promoting method of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, mental exercise, and breathing technique, is used in China for the therapy of bronchial asthma, and for some time now has been enjoying an ever-widening acceptance in the Western world as well. This pilot study investigates if ...

Measurement of airflow limitation and assessment of its reversibility are essential in estimating the correct diagnosis of asthma. The presence of at least 15% reversibility in FEV1 or PEF after inhalation of a short-acting beta 2-agonist favours the diagnosis, but lack of a short-term reversibility does not exclude asthma. Advanced ...

Twenty-two males with asthma and 22 healthy males (7-18 years old) performed a Wingate Anaerobic Test. The subjects with asthma had a lower mid-maximal expiratory flow rate (78.3+/-25.3 vs. 100.1+/-24.5%, p < 0.01) than the controls. Aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance (peak power: PP; mean power: MP) were similar for ...

The changes of some immunologic parameters such as IgG, IgA and IgM, the C3 complement, the circulating immune complexes and alpha 1--antitrypsin were investigated in 75 patients with occupational allergic bronchial asthma to textile fibers as compared with 50 apparently healthy controls with no occupational exposure to textile fibers. It ...

Adult asthmatics, ranging from 19 to 52 years from an asthma and allergy clinic in a university setting volunteered to participate in the study. The 17 students were randomly divided into yoga (9 subjects) and nonyoga control (8 subjects) groups. The yoga group was taught a set of breathing and ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Twenty-one asthmatic patients aged 27-59 years, with mild to moderate asthma, participated in a 10-week group rehabilitation programme covering physical training and theoretical and practical education in medication, self-management strategies and physiotherapy. This study was undertaken retrospectively to investigate (1) the patients' reasons for joining the programme, ...

For unknown reasons, the morbidity and mortality from asthma are increasing in many parts of the world, making it a global health concern. The heterogeneous nature of the clinical manifestations and therapeutic responses of asthma in both adult and pediatric patients indicate that it may be more of a syndrome ...