Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410043
Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio as a Novel Prognostic Marker in Male Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Sezgi Sahin Duyar, Yalcin Solak, Dilek Tekis, Jale Karakaya, Ferit Kuscu and Asuman Erarslan
Article Type: Original Article | First Published: March 31, 2016
Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR) and platalet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are recently defined novel inflammatory markers which are readily available. Their prognostic signifigance has been shown for a number of inflammatory diseases. A recent study evaluated the role of NLR in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD). Thus, we aimed to investigate the relations between NLR, PLR and severity of COPD in male patients who had stable disease....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410042
Respiratory Allergy as a Contributory Factor in the Development of Vocal Fold Nodules
Anica Jokic, Gordana Mumovic, Maja Buljcik-Cupic and Olga Popov-Dragin
Article Type: Review Article | First Published: March 17, 2016
Increasing evidence in the literature indicates that respiratory allergies are often a hidden contributory factor in vocal dysfunction. Although the precise allergic pathophysiological process within the vocal folds is not yet determined, modern understanding suggests that allergic changes in the lining of the larynx are an integral part of a systemic respiratory allergic reaction....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410041
Palliation of Refractory Dyspnea in a Patient with End Stage COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
Sidra Anwar and Amy Case
Article Type: Review Article | First Published: March 15, 2016
Mr. M was a 74-year-old male Korean War veteran who presented to the hospital with an acute exacerbation of his Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The patient had a 50 pack-year history of smoking and continued to smoke one-and-a-half packs of cigarettes per day. He was frail with barrel chest and pursed lip breathing, tachypnea, and dyspneic at rest. He was on Albuterol, Ipratropium bromide, and Fluticasone propionate, in addition to home oxygen 3 liters, 24 hours per day. Recent pul...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410040
A Case Report of Endobronchial Ultrasound Needle Fracture
Som N Chalise, Craig Brown and Mark R Bowling
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: February 22, 2016
Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has many potential complications though most occur infrequently. We encountered a case in which the EBUS needle broke during TBNA. The patient was a 65 year old man who underwent EBUS-TBNA for right paratracheal lymphadenopathy. During the procedure, the TBNA needle was found to be broken. We were able to completely recover it without any complications to the patient or to the EBUS scope....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410038
Clinical features of Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Japan
Hirofumi Matsuoka, Sachie Kume, Sayaka Inoue, Nao Oda, Yusuke Matsumoto, Koji Tamai, Nobuhiko Okada, Akiko Otsuka, Yasuko Koma, Kenji Kaihotsu, Harukazu Yoshimatsu, Masanori Iwahashi, Toru Miyajima and Yujiro Suzuki
Article Type: Original Research | First Published: February 08, 2016
The prevalence and mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is expected to increase, not only in Japan but also worldwide. The prevalence of COPD is estimated to be 8.6% in Japan; however, it is reported that many COPD patients remain undiagnosed and untreated. Because COPD is a treatable and preventable disease, early diagnosis and management are important....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410039
Electron Microscopic Analysis of Silicate and Calcium Particles in Cigarette Smoke Tar
R Steven Pappas, Mary M Halstead and Clifford H Watson
Article Type: Research Article | First Published: February 11, 2016
Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) supplies information that is complementary to those data traditionally obtained using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for analysis of inorganic tobacco and tobacco smoke constituents. The SEM-EDS approach was used to identify select inorganic constituents of mainstream cigarette smoke "tar". The nature of SEM-EDS instrumentation makes it an ideal choice for microstructural analyses as it provides inform...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410037
Debilitating Disease in a Daring Child with Determined Parents - Impact on Survival
Marie Christy Sharafine Stephen, Eswaran Venkata Raman, Gnanam Aram and Anitha Kumar
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: February 02, 2016
Pompe disease is a rare and progressive lysosomal storage disorder, of autosomal recessive inheritance. Disease onset and progression range from early infantile onset which is fatal and rapidly progressive to the late onset formthatis slowly progressive, but leads to severe respiratory dysfunction and significant morbidity. Besides, scoliosis and other spine deformities cause substantial workload on the already compromised ventilation. This has a major impact on the quality of life and life-expe...
