Smoke inhalation is the major cause of death in fire victims due to cyanide poisoning. However, new research presented at CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, shows that a new antidote, cobinamide, may help reverse the effects of cyanide toxicity. Researchers from multiple institutions, including the University of California Irvine Medical Center, exposed six ventilator-supported New Zealand white rabbits to cold smoke breaths until toxic carbon monoxide levels were achieved, concurrent with intravenous cyanide infusion... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Difficulty breathing, chest pain, and cough may sound like symptoms of a heart attack; however, new research shows that these are the key symptoms for pulmonary embolism (PE), a potentially fatal blockage in the lung. A research team from Saint Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut, retrospectively reviewed the clinical features, risk factors, and ECG findings in 334 patients with confirmed PE... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Related Articles

Caregiver expectations of clinicians during the asthma diagnostic process in young children: thematic analysis of focus groups.

J Asthma. 2012 Sep;49(7):703-11

Authors: Garro AC, Jandasek B, Turcotte-Benedict F, Fleming JT, Rosen R, McQuaid EL

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Asthma is difficult to diagnose in young children, and the subjective experience of caregivers varies. Clinicians' ability to meet caregiver expectations during the diagnostic process improves the caregiver-clinician relationship, and effectiveness of disease management strategies.
METHODS: We performed thematic analysis of seven focus groups (FGs) with 38 caregivers of children 1-6 years old diagnosed with asthma in the preceding 12 months. Caregivers were classified as satisfied or dissatisfied with clinicians during the asthma diagnostic process. Differential themes in these two groups identified caregiver expectations that determined satisfaction with the diagnostic process.
RESULTS: Caregiver expectations during the asthma diagnostic process included (1) provision of a diagnostic strategy, (2) acknowledgment of caregiver advocacy, (3) addressing caregiver's beliefs about treatment with asthma medications before a diagnosis was confirmed, and (4) discussing asthma specialist involvement in the diagnosis. Higher perceived severity of a child's illness made caregiver expectations more difficult to meet.
CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that clinicians considering an asthma diagnosis in young children must include a diagnostic strategy that is congruent with the caregiver's beliefs about the underlying illness, use of medication, and asthma specialist involvement. Perceived illness severity must also be accounted for when designing a diagnostic strategy.

PMID: 22741947 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Concomitant asthma medications in moderate-to-severe allergic asthma treated with omalizumab.

Respir Med. 2012 Oct 18;

Authors: Chen H, Eisner MD, Haselkorn T, Trzaskoma B

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Omalizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody approved in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe persistent allergic asthma inadequately controlled with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). EXCELS is an ongoing prospective observational cohort study of approximately 5000 omalizumab-treated and >2800 non-omalizumab-treated patients aged ≥12 years. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated concomitant medication use changes (total ICS dose [including monotherapy and combination therapy, fluticasone equivalent], short-acting beta-agonists [SABA], and leukotriene modifier [LTM]) over 2 years among subsets of patients enrolled in EXCELS. METHODS: Patient subsets included "new starts" (omalizumab initiated at baseline [n = 549], "established users" (omalizumab initiated >7 days before baseline [n = 4421]), and "non-omalizumab" patients (not treated with omalizumab [n = 2867]). RESULTS: At baseline, mean ± SD total daily ICS doses were 680 ± 414 μg/d in new starts, 642 ± 431 μg/d in established users, and 548 ± 382 μg/d in non-omalizumab patients. From baseline through year 2, total ICS dose decreased in 65% of new starts (mean ± SD change, -393 ± 504 μg/d), 57% of established users (-287 ± 492 μg/d), and 54% of non-omalizumab patients (-232 ± 431 μg/d). At baseline, SABA use for new starts, established users, and non-omalizumab patients was 1.9, 1.3, and 1.4 puffs/d, respectively. At year 2, SABA use decreased in 65% of new starts, 55% of established users, and 54% of non-omalizumab patients. At year 2, LTM dose decreased in 52% of new starts, 44% of established users, and 40% of non-omalizumab patients. CONCLUSION: Omalizumab therapy initiation was associated with decreased doses of ICS, SABA, and LTM over 2 years of follow-up for the majority of patients in a "real-world" cohort study of moderate-to-severe allergic asthma patients.

PMID: 23083840 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]