ABSTRACT
La enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) es una de las enfermedades más frecuentes a nivel mundial, cuya prevalencia está en aumento y representa una enormecarga de salud para la sociedad. En América Latina, las cifras estimadas de prevalencia varían entre el 7.8% y 19.7%. Si bien el humo de cigarrillo es el factor de riesgo más importante para el desarrollo de esta enfermedad, la exposición al humo de combustiblesde biomasa, especialmente leña, dentro del hogar, para cocinar y calefaccionar, es también una causa relevante aunque poco reconocida de EPOC en los países en vías de desarrollo. Teniendo en cuenta que la mitad de la población mundial, unos 3 mil millones de personas, utilizan combustibles de este tipo, el impacto que pudiera tener sobre la salud de la población expuesta, es un tema de especial consideración.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide that is increasing and which represents a substantial economic and social burden. The prevalence of COPD in Latin America ranges from 7.8% to 19.7%.Although smoking tobacco is the leading cause in developing COPD, the use of biomass fuels for cooking or heating is also an important cause of this disease, particularly in developing countries. As half of the world population, around 3 thousand million people, use solid fuels, the impact that the use of such fuels could have on the health of theaffected population is an issue that deserves specific consideration.
Subject(s)
Humans , Biomass , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/etiology , Smoke/adverse effects , Wood , Latin America/epidemiology , Prevalence , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Due to the exponential growth of international exchange, millions of travelers are exposed to respiratory pathogens in the tropics and may return ill. Community-acquired pneumonia is one of the more prevalent infections. RECENT FINDINGS: The acquisition of infections in the tropics, including community-acquired pneumonias, has been described for several centuries. During recent decades some microorganisms have been disclosed as causative of the disease (Legionella pneumophila in 1976 and hantavirus in 1990); other microorganisms are real new pathogens that were not previously demonstrated to have a pathogenic role in humans (e.g. severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus producing an outbreak in 2003 and H5N1 avian influenza virus producing an increasing number of human cases over the last few years). SUMMARY: A number of microorganisms may produce pneumonia in people who live or have traveled to tropical zones. History, including geography and epidemiology, physical exam and complementary workout are precious tools for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention. Exposure to microorganisms in tropical areas may show different patterns. A high index of suspicion, detailed investigation of travel, exposure history of the patient, and a basic understanding of the incubation periods and distribution of the various potential pathogens are imperative for the diagnosis.
