886 research outputs found
Colds, flu and coughing: Over-the-counter products for pharyngitis and tonsillitis
Pharyngotonsillitis is an inflammatory condition of the pharyngeal wall. Respiratory viruses are the major causes of pharyngitis, while bacteria account for 5-30% of cases. Once treatment of the underlying aetiology is considered and addressed, management of pharyngotonsillitis focuses on providing symptomatic relief. A variety of systemic and topical therapies are available. This brief review discusses over-the-counter medicines that may be considered for both adults and children
Colds, flu and coughing: a review of over-the-counter nasal therapies in general practice
Nasal congestion due to the common cold occurs because of dilation of the blood vessels, leading to swelling of the nasal mucosal epithelium. This narrows nasal passages, which are further blocked by increased mucus production. Nasal sprays and drops are often recommended for the treatment of rhinorrhoea and nasal congestion associated with the common cold. This brief review discusses over-the-counter nasal therapies that are used to relieve rhinorrhoea and nasal congestion in adults and children.Keywords: colds, flu, coughing, nasal therapie
Colds, flu and coughing: a review of over-the-counter cold and flu medicines
The common cold is the most frequent human illness, and may be caused by several families of viruses, particularly the more than 100 serotypes of rhinoviruses. Inaccurate perceptions that antibiotics improve patient outcomes fuel the number of doctor visits and parental requests for antibiotics. The inappropriate use of antibiotics for minor, self-limiting, usually viral, upper-respiratory tract infections does not alter the course of the disease, and adds to the burden of antibiotic resistance. In addition, there is also no evidence to suggest that antibiotics prevent secondary bacterial complications following viral upper-respiratory tract infections. While most over-the-counter cold and flu remedies have no proven efficacy, they appear to attenuate the immune response to the infecting virus, and there is little doubt that appropriate symptomatic treatment canmake the patient feel better. Therefore, symptomatic therapy remains the mainstay of common cold treatment. This article briefly reviews the components of cold and flu remedies, and provides a symptom-based assessment for the selection of appropriate over-the-counter medicine
Detection of the tulip breaking virus (TBV) in tulips using optical sensors
The tulip breaking virus (TBV) causes severe economic losses for countries that export tulips such as the Netherlands. Infected plants have to be removed from the field as soon as possible. There is an urgent need for a rapid and objective method of screening. In this study, four proximal optical sensing techniques for the detection of TBV in tulip plants were evaluated and compared with a visual assessment by crop experts as well as with an ELISA (enzyme immunoassay) analysis of the same plants. The optical sensor techniques used were an RGB color camera, a spectrophotometer measuring from 350 to 2500 nm, a spectral imaging camera covering a spectral range from 400 to 900 nm and a chlorophyll fluorescence imaging system that measures the photosynthetic activity. Linear discriminant classification was used to compare the results of these optical techniques and the visual assessment with the ELISA score. The spectral imaging system was the best optical technique and its error was only slightly larger than the visual assessment error. The experimental results appear to be promising, and they have led to further research to develop an autonomous robot for the detection and removal of diseased tulip plants in the open field. The application of this robot system will reduce the amount of insecticides and the considerable pressure on labor for selecting diseased plants by the crop expert. © 2010 The Author(s
The effect of the NK2 tachykinin receptor antagonist SR 48968 (saredutant) on neurokinin A-induced bronchoconstriction in asthmatics
Perioperative antioxidants for adults undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery
This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of antioxidant use in the perioperative period in adults who undergo non‐cardiac surgery
Detection of the tulip breaking virus (TBV) in tulips using optical sensors
The tulip breaking virus (TBV) causes severe economic losses for countries that export tulips such as the Netherlands. Infected plants have to be removed from the field as soon as possible. There is an urgent need for a rapid and objective method of screening. In this study, four proximal optical sensing techniques for the detection of TBV in tulip plants were evaluated and compared with a visual assessment by crop experts as well as with an ELISA (enzyme immunoassay) analysis of the same plants. The optical sensor techniques used were an RGB color camera, a spectrophotometer measuring from 350 to 2500 nm, a spectral imaging camera covering a spectral range from 400 to 900 nm and a chlorophyll fluorescence imaging system that measures the photosynthetic activity. Linear discriminant classification was used to compare the results of these optical techniques and the visual assessment with the ELISA score. The spectral imaging system was the best optical technique and its error was only slightly larger than the visual assessment error. The experimental results appear to be promising, and they have led to further research to develop an autonomous robot for the detection and removal of diseased tulip plants in the open field. The application of this robot system will reduce the amount of insecticides and the considerable pressure on labor for selecting diseased plants by the crop expert. © 2010 The Author(s
- …