Perbandingan Efektivitas Beberapa Pelarut Terhadap Kelarutan Cerumen Obturans Secara in Vitro

Cerumen obturans merupakan suatu keadaan patologis yang tidak membahayakan jiwa tetapi dapat mengakibatkan perasaan tidak nyaman seperti rasa penuh di telinga, nyeri, gangguan pendengaran dan ketulian serta penurunan kualitas hidup. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui perbandingan efektivitas enam pelarut yaitu aquadest, larutan garam NaCl 0,9%, minyak kelapa, minyak zaitun, karbogliserin 10% dan sodium dokusat 0,5% terhadap cerumen obturans secara in vitro serta untuk mengetahui lama waktu kontak yang paling efektif suatu pelarut terhadap kelarutan serumen. Penelitian ini merupakan eksperimen laboratorium dengan menggunakan 30 spesimen cerumen obturans yang telah dipadatkan dengan berat masingmasing 40 mg. Tingkat kelarutan serumen diukur dengan menggunakan spektrofotometer Spectronic 21. Perbandingan efektifitas pelarut diuji dengan menggunakan uji One Way Anova dengan alfa < 0,05. Didapatkan hasil bahwa efektivitas pelarut yang berbeda bermakna didapatkan pada menit ke 20, 25 dan 30 hanya antara aquadest dan NaCl 0,9% terhadap minyak kelapa dan minyak zaitun menggunakan spektrofotometer.Waktu kontak yang efektif secara in vitro adalah ? 20 menit dan cenderung meningkat sampai batas 30 menit. Pada menit ke 20 dan 25, NaCl 0,9% merupakan pelarut yang paling efektif sedang pada menit ke 30 yang paling efektif adalah aquadest. Minyak zaitun dan minyak kelapa merupakan pelarut yang efektivitasnya paling rendah. Pelarut berbasis air lebih efektif dibanding pelarut berbasis lemak

Hubungan Pajanan Debu Terigu Terhadap Kualitas Hidup Penderita Rinitis Akibat Kerja

Rinitis akibat kerja dapat mempengaruhi kualitas hidup pekerja, menghilangkan banyak waktu kerja yang dapat menurunkan produktivitas namun masih sedikit informasi yang dimiliki mengenai epidemiologi pada industri terigu. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis hubungan antara lama pajanan debu terigu dan kejadian rinitis akibat kerja (RAK) terhadap kualitas hidup penderita rinitis akibat kerja pada pekerja pabrik terigu X diMakassar. Penelitian ini menggunakan kajian potong lintang (cross sectional study). Penelitian dilakukan di pabrik terigu X, yakni di bagian produksi dan pengepakan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang bermakna antara lama pajanan debu terigu dan kejadian rinitis akibat kerja (RAK) dengan nilai p<0.05). Akan tetapi tidak terdapat hubungan bermakna antara lama pajanan debu terigu dan penurunan kualitas hiduppenderita RAK. Hubungan antara merokok dan kejadian RAK belum dapat dibuktikan, namun didapatkan bahwa merokok tanpa RAK lebih dominan dibandingkan RAK tanpa merokok dalam menyebabkan pemanjangan waktu transpor mukosiliar. Hubungan penggunaan masker dengan kualitas hidup pada kejadian RAK belum dapat dibuktikan, namun didapati bahwa pada pekerja yang tidak secara rutin menggunakan masker terkenaRAK dengan risiko yang lebih tinggi dan dapat menurunkan kualitas hidupnya. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang bermakna antara lama pajanan debu terigu dan kejadian rinitis akibat kerja (RAK) dengan nilai p<0.05). Akan tetapi tidak terdapat hubungan bermakna antara lama pajanan debu terigu dan penurunan kualitas hiduppenderita RAK

Blood eosinophil count and GOLD stage predict response to maintenance azithromycin treatment in COPD patients with frequent exacerbations

INTRODUCTION:Maintenance treatment with macrolides are useful in preventing COPD exacerbations. We investigated which characteristics of COPD patients with frequent exacerbations predicted the best response to maintenance treatment with azithromycin. METHODS:This study was part of the COLUMBUS trial, a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 92 COPD patients with frequent exacerbations. During the 1-year treatment period, follow-up data were collected for spirometry, mMRC scores, sputum cultures and blood inflammatory markers. RESULTS:In the azithromycin group a significant lower number of exacerbations per patient was observed in patients with the following characteristics: baseline blood eosinophil count ≥2.0% (x̄ = 1.26), compared to an eosinophil count < 2.0% (x̄ = 2.50; p = 0.02), GOLD stage 1-2 (x̄ = 1.06), versus GOLD stage 4 (x̄ = 2.62; p = 0.02) and GOLD group C (x̄ = 0.45) compared to group D (x̄ = 2.18; p < 0.01). Moreover, the number of hospitalizations was significantly lower in patients, with a blood eosinophil count ≥2.0% (x̄ = 0.26) compared to an eosinophil count < 2.0% (x̄ = 0.90; p = 0.01) and in GOLD stages 1-2 (x̄ = 1.06) compared to stage 4 (x̄ = 2.62; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION:In conclusion, azithromycin maintenance treatment appears to be effective in COPD patients with frequent exacerbations, who are either classified in GOLD stage 1-2 or GOLD C and those with a blood eosinophil count of ≥2.0%

Blood eosinophil count and GOLD stage predict response to maintenance azithromycin treatment in COPD patients with frequent exacerbations

INTRODUCTION:Maintenance treatment with macrolides are useful in preventing COPD exacerbations. We investigated which characteristics of COPD patients with frequent exacerbations predicted the best response to maintenance treatment with azithromycin. METHODS:This study was part of the COLUMBUS trial, a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 92 COPD patients with frequent exacerbations. During the 1-year treatment period, follow-up data were collected for spirometry, mMRC scores, sputum cultures and blood inflammatory markers. RESULTS:In the azithromycin group a significant lower number of exacerbations per patient was observed in patients with the following characteristics: baseline blood eosinophil count ≥2.0% (x̄ = 1.26), compared to an eosinophil count < 2.0% (x̄ = 2.50; p = 0.02), GOLD stage 1-2 (x̄ = 1.06), versus GOLD stage 4 (x̄ = 2.62; p = 0.02) and GOLD group C (x̄ = 0.45) compared to group D (x̄ = 2.18; p < 0.01). Moreover, the number of hospitalizations was significantly lower in patients, with a blood eosinophil count ≥2.0% (x̄ = 0.26) compared to an eosinophil count < 2.0% (x̄ = 0.90; p = 0.01) and in GOLD stages 1-2 (x̄ = 1.06) compared to stage 4 (x̄ = 2.62; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION:In conclusion, azithromycin maintenance treatment appears to be effective in COPD patients with frequent exacerbations, who are either classified in GOLD stage 1-2 or GOLD C and those with a blood eosinophil count of ≥2.0%

Differences in pulmonary and extra-pulmonary traits between women and men with COPD

Background: Prevalence of COPD is similar for women and men. Whether sex-related differences exist in the prevalence of treatable traits is unclear. Aim: To explore sex-related differences in treatable traits in COPD. Methods: Two independent samples of patients with COPD referred to secondary (n=530) or tertiary care (n=2012) were analysed retrospectively. Male and female patients were matched for age, FEV1 and body mass index. Internationally accepted cut-offs were applied to identify the presence of traits. Sex-related differences were tested using independent samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U or chi-square tests. Results: Frequent exacerbations, high cardiovascular risk and activity-related severe dyspnoea were more prevalent in women than men referred to secondary care (p<0.05). In tertiary care, severe hyperinflation, limited diffusing capacity, impaired mobility, frequent exacerbations, frequent hospitalisations, activity-related severe dyspnoea, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and poor health status were more prevalent in women (p<0.05) and severe inspiratory muscle weakness and impaired exercise capacity were more prevalent among men (p<0.05) (Fig. 1). No other significant differences in traits were found. Conclusions: Sex-related differences were found in pulmonary and extra-pulmonary traits in COPD, with most traits being more prevalent among women. Clinicians should be aware of these differences to adjust treatment.publishe

Prevalence and abundance of selected genes conferring macrolide resistance genes in COPD patients during maintenance treatment with azithromycin

OBJECTIVES: Maintenance treatment with macrolide antibiotics has shown to be effective in reducing exacerbations in COPD patients. A major concern with prolonged treatment with antibiotics is the development of bacterial resistance. In this study we determined the effect of azithromycin on the development and acquisition of resistance to macrolides in the nasopharyngeal flora in COPD patients. METHODS: This study was part of the COLUMBUS trial, a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to measure the effect of maintenance treatment with azithromycin in 92 COPD patients on the exacerbation rates during a 12-month period. In order to determine resistance to macrolides, we used a targeted metagenomic approach to measure the presence and relative abundance of specific macrolide resistance genes ermB, ermF and mefA in throat samples collected at different time-points during this 12-month period. RESULTS: There was no increased risk for acquisition of macrolide resistance genes in the azithromycin group compared to the placebo group in COPD patients. However, loss of the macrolide resistance gene ermB was increased overtime in the placebo treated group compared to the azithromycin group (n = 5 for the placebo group versus n = 0 for the azithromycin group at 12 months; p = 0.012). The change in relative abundance of the three macrolide-resistance genes showed that all but one (ermF) increased during treatment with azithromycin. CONCLUSIONS: The acquisition rate of macrolide resistance genes in COPD patients treated with azithromycin maintenance therapy was limited, but the relative abundance of macrolide resistance genes increased significantly over time compared to placebo. This study was part of the COLUMBUS trial ( Clinicaltrials.gov , NCT00985244 )

Correlations between physical and chemical defences in plants: tradeoffs, syndromes, or just many different ways to skin a herbivorous cat?

� Most plant species have a range of traits that deter herbivores. However, understanding of how different defences are related to one another is surprisingly weak. Many authors argue that defence traits trade off against one another, while others argue that they form coordinated defence syndromes. � We collected a dataset of unprecedented taxonomic and geographic scope (261 species spanning 80 families, from 75 sites across the globe) to investigate relationships among four chemical and six physical defences. � Five of the 45 pairwise correlations between defence traits were significant and three of these were tradeoffs. The relationship between species’ overall chemical and physical defence levels was marginally nonsignificant (P = 0.08), and remained nonsignificant after accounting for phylogeny, growth form and abundance. Neither categorical principal component analysis (PCA) nor hierarchical cluster analysis supported the idea that species displayed defence syndromes. � Our results do not support arguments for tradeoffs or for coordinated defence syndromes. Rather, plants display a range of combinations of defence traits. We suggest this lack of consistent defence syndromes may be adaptive, resulting from selective pressure to deploy a different combination of defences to coexisting species