Exploring E-cigarettes: Ingredients, Health Effects, and Considerations for Use

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes are becoming an increasingly popular nicotine delivery system, especially among adolescents and college aged students. They appeal to this population because they are new, are convenient to use, have appealing flavors, and are viewed as a cleaner, safer alternative to cigarettes. However, there are known ingredients in both the e-cigarette solution and vapors that have significant health effects and it is becoming an emerging public health issue that needs to be addressed. There is a gap in the knowledge about the potential harmful effects of e-cigarettes on both the part of the user and the healthcare providers who may need to counsel a user of e-cigarettes, since a lot of evidence is still emerging related to the health effects of e-cigarette use. To address this gap in knowledge, this paper summarizes some of the literature related to e-cigarette use, their health and safety effects that could be used to inform both users and healthcare providers, specifically nurses and nurse practitioners. There is still much to be learned about the long-term effects of e-cigarette use and what healthcare providers can do to minimize those effects

Anesthetic management of an adult patient with Rett syndrome and limited mouth opening -A case report-

Rett syndrome is a neurological disease that occurs only in females and it manifests with mental retardation, seizures, movement disorders, autistic behavior and abnormal breathing. A 19-year-old female with Rett syndrome underwent ophthalmologic surgery under general anesthesia at our institution. Airway control was difficult due to her limited mouth opening. We recommend that anesthesiologists should have proper knowledge about this disease and the patients to avoid the complications and problems that can be encountered during the perioperative period

Could Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Test be Useful in Predicting Inhaled Corticosteroid Responsiveness in Chronic Cough? A Systematic Review

© 2016 Background Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) is a safe and convenient test for assessing T H 2 airway inflammation, which is potentially useful in the management of patients with chronic cough. Objective To summarize the current evidence on the diagnostic usefulness of FENO for predicting inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) responsiveness in patients with chronic cough. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted to identify articles published in peer-reviewed journals up to February 2015, without language restriction. We included studies that reported the usefulness of FENO (index test) for predicting ICS responsiveness (reference standard) in patients with chronic cough (target condition). The data were extracted to construct a 2 × 2 accuracy table. Study quality was assessed with Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2. Results We identified 5 original studies (2 prospective and 3 retrospective studies). We identified considerable heterogeneities in study design and outcome definitions, and thus were unable to perform a meta-analysis. The proportion of ICS responders ranged from 44% to 59%. Sensitivity and specificity ranged from 53% to 90%, and from 63% to 97%, respectively. The reported area under the curve ranged from abou t 0.60 to 0.87; however, studies with a prospective design and a lower prevalence of asthma had lower area under the curve values. None measured placebo effects or objective cough frequency. Conclusions We did not find strong evidence to support the use of FENO tests for predicting ICS responsiveness in chronic cough. Further studies need to have a randomized, placebo-controlled design, and should use validated measurement tools for cough. Standardization would facilitate the development of clinical evidence

Effect of Three-Dimensional Printed Personalized Moisture Chamber Spectacles on the Periocular Humidity

Purpose. To assess the effect of three-dimensional (3D) printed personalized moisture chamber spectacles (PMCS) on the periocular humidity. Methods. Facial computed tomography (CT) scanning was conducted on 10 normal subjects. PMCS was designed based on volume rendered CT images and produced using a 3D printer. Periocular humidity of PMCS and commercially available uniformed moisture chamber spectacles (UMCS) were measured for 30 minutes via microhydrometer. Results. The mean ambient humidity was 15.76±1.18%. The mean periocular humidity was 52.14±3.00% in PMCS and 37.67±8.97% in UMCS. The difference was significant (P<0.001). Additionally, PMCS always demonstrated lower humidity than dew points. Conclusion. PMCS made by 3D printer provides appropriate fitness for the semiclosed humid chamber. PMCS showed higher performance than UMCS. The wearing of PMCS would be an effective method to provide high enough periocular humidity in low humidity environment