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UNLABELLED: According to WHO estimates in the early 1990s there were around 1.100 million smokers in the world, about one third of the global population over 15 years of age. The aim of the study was to evaluate tobacco influence on pulmonary function tests in young healthy men. The study was performed on 3004 subjects 18-23 years old. The subjects were divided into two groups, smokers (S n = 1726) and non-smokers (NS n = 1278). Each subject had spirometry and body pletysmography done. The analysis of influence of smoking on pulmonary function tests showed statistically significant decrease of TLC, FEV1, FEV1%/VC, PEF and FEF50 in the smokers' group. Percentage of people with airflow limitation (FEV1%VC < 85% N, FEV1 < 80% N, FEF50 < 70% N) was two times higher than in the non-smokers' group. IN CONCLUSION: smoking significantly increases the number of subjects with airflow limitation among healthy young males in Poland.

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Respiratory physiotherapy is essential to the treatment of all acute or chronic respiratory disorders which expectoration difficulties are major problem. The Flutter VRP1 is an easy to use physiotherapy device; combines safe endobronchial positive expiratory pressure with vibratory effects. Flutter is a useful device for sputum expectoration and markedly improvement of lung parameters.

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The aim of this report was to analyse the sleep apnea rate and its clinical picture in acromegaly patients before and after the surgical treatment. The authors investigated both hormones levels and spirometric coefficients. They found, that surgical removal of microadenoma from transphenoidal approach led to the fast regression of the syndrome.

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The aim of study was the evaluation results of pulmonary function test (PFT) relationships between air pollution particular ozone concentration and smoking habit. PFT 417 volunteers (men aged 18-23) living in two regions of Poland were studied. These men were divided into 2 groups according to their living place: Warsaw and Gizycko (north-agricultural region of Poland). Inside each group smokers and non-smokers were separated. PNEUMOBIL-mobile PFT laboratory Compact Lab-Jaeger was used. Mean values of PFT between these two groups were not statistically significant. However the percent of population with low values of FEF50 (< 70%) living in Warsaw was five times higher then in population living in Gizycko (10.1% vs 1.7%). It possible that these results were associated with high concentration of ozone in atmosphere in Warsaw.

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The aim of the study was to analyse the clinical effectiveness of ofloxacin in treatment of post-infectious exacerbations of endogenous bronchial asthma. Twenty eight patients (20 males, 8 females) were assessed. The following parameters were evaluated: bacteriological examination of the sputum (before and after treatment), morphological analysis of peripheral blood, bronchoalveolar lavage (performed in 11 patients). Additionally in 7 patients lymphocyte subpopulations of the peripheral blood were determined (OKT4/OKT8). Diurnal variations of serum levels of theophylline were assessed in 12 patients. The authors observed a clinical improvement in 26 patients. Following treatment the white cell blood count (WBC) and the CD4/CD8 ratio decreased. The same observations were made analysing the BAL differential count, in which a marked decrease of neutrophils was seen. The authors conclude that ofloxacin is a safe and efficient antimicrobial agent.

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22 males with atopic asthma in clinical remission and 22 healthy males were evaluated. The age of the 44 males ranged from 19 to 23 years. Atopy was diagnosed in patients with a characteristic medical history, positive skin prick tests and elevated serum IgE levels. All patients underwent a bronchial provocation test to distilled water mist. The aerosol was produced in a ultrasonic nebuliser (Thomex) at a speed of 2 ml/min. All spirometric tests were carried out using Pneumoscreen (Jaeger) before and after inhalation of 2, 6, 12, 20 and 30 ml of distilled water. A positive test was defined: as a decrease of FEV1 by/or more 10%, decrease of MEF50 by/or more 25% and increase of Raw by/or more 30%. A positive test was found in 7 patients with atopic asthma after inhalation of 20 ml of distilled water. Sole lowering of FEV1 was seen in 11 asthmatics. In the control bronchial constriction could not be induced.

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An effect of beclomethasone dipropionate (Beclocort-Polfa) was investigated in the group of 24 patients with atopic and non-atopic bronchial asthma who have shown unspecific bronchial hyperreactivity to histamine during the periods of remission. The drug was administered in the form of aerosol in a daily dose of 1.0 mg for 4 weeks. Provocative histamine dose was established with Bronchoscreen device (Jaeger) thrice:prior to the treatment, after 1 week of placebo therapy, and after 1 month of beclomethasone administration. Statistically significant increase in histamine dose for provocation of bronchospasm (p < 0.01) being nearly twice higher than the baseline value has been noted in patients treated with beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol. It advocates such a treatment in unspecific bronchial hyperreactivity independently of the type of the bronchial asthma.

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The aim of the study was to assess the effect of chronic steroid inhalation therapy on the upper airways in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 44 patients with a first time diagnosis of COPD were evaluated. 22 (11 males, 11 females) were treated with Beclomethasone (1 mg per day) for 6 months. 22 patients that were not treated made up the control group. All had a laryngological and phonic examination carried out, including stroboscopy of the vocal cords, bacteriological and mycological examination of the oral flora. Prior therapy in all patients abnormal findings were present. The six months therapy produced only further increase of hypo-tonus of the vocal cords, without significantly affecting the phonation time and voice pattern. An increase of voice hoarseness, fungal and bacteriological infections were not found.

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Nineteen patients (12 males, 7 females, mean age 59 +/- 10 years) with chronic obstructive lung disease and lowered ventilatory reserves in partial and full respiratory insufficiency (FEV1 f = 51 +/- 19%; MEF 50 = 23 +/- 13% pred. value, R(aw) = 220 +/- 120%; pO2 = 59 +/- 5; pCO2 = 41 +/- 10 mmHg) were included in the study. All had RVEF measured using radionuclide angiocardiography before and 60 minutes after oral administration of 20 mg of nifedipine. In all RVEF was initially reduced by 25%. After administration of NF in 12 patients a statistically significant increase of RVEF was seen (by a mean value of 12 = +/- 8%). iN 7 no significant increase could be seen. The two groups reactive and non-reactive to NF did not differ in age, sex, degree of ventilatory impairment, hypoxia, and initial decrease of RVEF.

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The aim of the study was to assess serum ACE (S-ACE) activity in atopic bronchial asthma. S-ACE activity values were determined in 50 subjects (11 blood donors, 39 asthmatics) using the radioenzymatic method with Ventrex Laboratories kits. The authors did not find any differences between asthmatics in clinical remission, not receiving therapy, patients receiving prednisone (mean daily dose 10.0 +/- 2.5 mg) and healthy blood donors. In subjects with exacerbations of bronchospasm (not receiving steroids) S-ACE activity was significantly higher.

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The experiment aimed at evaluating a three-month therapy of asthmatic patients with budesonide inhalations. The study involved 32 patients with long-lasting bronchial asthma depended on steroids. Therapy with budesonide (Pulmicort Astra) in a mean daily dose 1.6 mg enabled withdrawal of depot steroids and inhalation treatment only. In patients receiving prednisone in a mean daily dose 5.0 +/- 4.8 mg, budesonide therapy enabled a reduction of the oral dose by 50 percent. A significant improvement in the psychophysical status of patients has been noted despite a lack of significant differences in the results of lung functioning tests. Adverse reactions such as relaxation, insufficiency of the vocal cords at phonation and hoarseness were seen in 20 percent of patients, and in one of them required cessation of the drug. An increase in the number of Candida albicans colonies in throat swabs (over 20 colonies per plate) was seen in 7 treated patients but clinical symptoms which required an additional treatment were noted only in 1 patient.

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The aim of the study was the evaluation of equilibrium gated blood pool angiography in noninvasive assessment of right ventricular ejection fraction in 50 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The degree of ventilatory disturbances was measured using plethysmography to calculate air flow indexes--FEV1, MEF50 and Rt and gasometric values of arterialized capillary blood--PaO2, PaCO2, pH. The used method allowed calculation of RVEF in 41 patients, which were divided into three groups according to presence of symptoms of right ventricular failure and RVEF values. In 12 patients free of RV failure symptoms RVEF was decreased (below 40%). Basing on results of this study the authors believe that this method is useful in diagnosing subclinical states of RV failure.

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In 113 patients and 33 controls the bronchodilating effect of three most frequently used calcium channel blockers nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem was studied. The group comprised 76 men and 41 women aged 20 to 60 years, with bronchospastic conditions of various aetiology. The Jaeger Bodytest apparatus was used. The indices of bronchial patency determined in the study were: FEV1, MEF50, and Rt before and 30 and 120 minutes after one dose of nifedipine 20 mg, verapamil 80 mg and diltiazem 120 mg in various subgroups of patients. The criteria of bronchospasm reversibility were those accepted by SEPCR. It was shown that oral administration of one mean dose of calcium channel blocker causes improvement of the indices of bronchial patency in about one-third of cases contrary to the results in controls. The bronchodilating effect was greatest after nifedipine. The obtained results justify the trials of treatment with calcium channel antagonists in cases with reversible bronchospasm of various aetiology.

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The protective effect was studied of the drugs blocking the calcium channel on histamine-induced bronchospasm. In a group of 107 studied subjects with clinical suspicion of bronchial hyperreactivity in 37 cases hypersensitivity to histamine was diagnosed. The protective effect of one oral dose of nifedipine 20 mg and verapamil 1.6 mg administered by inhalation was assessed. A protective effect of nifedipine was observed in 61% and that of verapamil in 37% of cases. These drugs may be used in the prophylaxis and treatment of bronchospastic conditions.

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