Tuberculin sensitivity in BCG vaccinated children

This work has been carried out in order to evaluate the waning of tuberculin sensitivity after BCG vaccination in three age groups: 2 years, 6 years and 10 years. Each group included 1000 children. The study revealed an unexpected high figure of negative reaction in all groups, denoting early waning of tuberculin sensitivity with maximum waning at age of 2 years, with a slow progression. It was recommended to boost primary vaccination during early infancy by revaccination earlier than the present policy of giving the vaccine at the age of 6

Breathing pattern in chronic obstructive lung diseases and interstitial lung fibrosis

The pattern of breathing was studied in 27 patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases [COLD], 17 non-hypercapnic and 10 hypercapnic and 10 patients with diffuse interstitial lung fibrosis [DLF] using mouth piece, nose clip, respirometer. In COLD, the results showed similar pattern in non and hypercapnic patients with exaggeration in the absolute values in later group. They showed high respiratory frequency [f], normal tidal volume [VT] high minute ventilation [MV], short inspiratory time [Ti], very small Ti/T tot [T tot total inspiratory cycle time], high VT/Ti. This indicated that it is contrary to current theory, there is an increase in respiratory center drive in all patients with COLD with or without hypercapnia. So, stimulants to respiratory center are not indicated and may have hazardous effects. In DLF patients, [f] was higher than COLD groups, VT was low than normal. Ti and TE [expiratory time] were low. So, Ti/T tot was within normal in contrast to COLD, Vt/Ti is high. The abnormal breathing pattern in DLF attributed by physico-pathological mechanisms triggered by interstitial lung fibrosis. This work illustrated that pattern of breathing and its components can be studied as a routine test by simple noninvasive method using respirometer to assess respiratory center drive and respiratory timing in health and diseases

Antituberculous treatment as a therapeutic test in sputum negative pulmonary tuberculosis

The smear negative case of pulmonary tuberculosis [TB] are very commonly met with by the chest physicians and general practitioners. This work was done on two groups of smear negative patients: Group I [prospective group] consists of 50 patients and group II [retrospective group] consists of 30 patients. All patients had clinico-radiological possibilities of pulmonary TB therapeutic test with antituberculous treatment [ATT] on these patients using 4 drugs [rifadine + INH + ethambital + streptomycin] for 2 months in group I and 12 months in group II, revealed radiological improvement in 74% and 80% of TB patients in prospective and retrospective group, respectively. So, a soundly based policy to start treatment in these patients without delay can be recommended. The results showed that tuberculin negative test cannot rule out the possibility of TB even with sputum smear negative

Breathing patterns in normal persons

The breathing pattern at rest was studied in 37 young healthy human volunteers [24.76 +/- 4.15 years] and 25 old healthy persons [61.56 +/- 10.53 years] using Lode respirometer. The mean respiratory frequency [f] was 16.95/min. in young and 15.92/min, in old persons. Tidal volumes varied: 497 +/- 56, 453 +/- 39 ml. in the young and old respectively. Sighing occurred in elderly persons as well as in all females [young and old]. The rythmicity was more irregular in elderly. Minute ventilation is analyzed in terms of mean inspiratory flow [VT/Ti] which reflects respiratory center drive, and fractional inspiratory time [Ti/Ttot] which is a pure index of respiratory timing. In the young VT/Ti was 343 +/- 39 ml/sec. and Ti/Ttot 0.416 +/- 0.019. In the old VT/Ti was 291 +/- 28 ml/sec. and Ti/Ttot 0.414 +/- 0.02. Inspiratory duration was found approximately constant