A placebo controlled study of flumazenil in bronchoscopic procedures.

METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial of the efficacy of flumazenil was conducted in 22 consecutive patients admitted for bronchoscopy. Sedation was induced by individually titrated amounts of intravenous diazepam (mean +/- s.d., 15.75 +/- 4.4 mg). Post bronchoscopy, patients received up to 1 mg of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil (Anexate) or placebo intravenously. Clinical scores for the degree of sedation, orientation in time and space, co-operation and anterograde amnesia were used. These, together with three psychometric tests were performed twice prior to bronchoscopy and on eight occasions in the following 24 h. The psychometric tests were: Tapping Test (TT), Simple Reaction Time (SRT) and Critical Flicker Fusion (CFF) and these were carried out using the automated Multipsy test system. RESULTS: The level of co-operation, orientation in time and space and anterograde amnesia were similar in both groups pre-and-post procedure. However compared with the pre-bronchoscopy assessment, the maximum degree of apparent sedation was significantly less in the flumazenil group in the first 4 h. In support of this, the patients in the flumazenil group also showed a significantly greater proficiency with the TT and CFF test post bronchoscopy (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of side effects and flumazenil was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: In this highly controlled setting, the use of flumazenil (Anexate) was shown to be safe and effective in aiding recovery from benzodiazepine facilitated bronchoscopy and as such provides an additional level of safety for this procedure.

A case of human melioidosis originating in south-west Western Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To report the first human case of autochthonous melioidosis in temperate Australia (latitude 31 degrees 10'S) and to describe the extent of the presence of the causative agent, Pseudomonas pseudomallei, in southwest Western Australia. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 45-year-old man living on a hobby farm was admitted to hospital for investigation of lung lesions, weight loss and low grade fevers. P. pseudomallei was cultured from material from an aspiration biopsy of a mediastinal mass. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: The patient was successfully treated with a regimen of ceftazidime and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. A review of epidemiological data showed that, since 1967, P. pseudomallei has been cultured from animals and soil in a region 50-250 km north-west of Perth, Western Australia, and that pockets of endemicity are found in the districts of Toodyay (where our patient's farm was), Chittering, Ballidu, Gidgegannup, Badgingarra, and Wongan Hills. CONCLUSION: The persistence of the bacterium in animals and soil in south-west Western Australia demonstrates abundantly that P. pseudomallei can exist opportunely beyond its traditional tropical habitat. It is likely that there will be further clinical cases of melioidosis originating in this region, and that the boundaries of endemicity in Australia will expand further.

Allergic bronchopulmonary fungal disease caused by Bipolaris and Curvularia.

Allergic bronchopulmonary fungal disease (ABPFD) usually manifests in asthmatics as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. In a few instances other fungi have been implicated. Serological testing in Western Australia between 1979 and 1986 revealed precipitins to Bipolaris and Curvularia species in 40 of 503 patients tested. Eight of these were patients with ABPFD due to Bipolaris and/or Curvularia and are reported here. Geographical location appeared to be significant as seven of eight of those with ABPFD (and at least 18 of 40 with positive serology) were living in the more remote and sub-tropical northern part of the state. ABPFD due to fungi other than Aspergillus species may be more common than previously recognised and further epidemiological assessment is warranted.

Mixed allergic bronchopulmonary fungal disease due to Pseudallescheria boydii and Aspergillus.

A 24 year old asthmatic woman with mixed allergic bronchopulmonary fungal disease due to Pseudallescheria boydii and Aspergillus is reported. No previous cases due to P boydii have been described. This patient provides evidence that fungi other than Aspergillus species may cause the condition.

Pulmonary mucormycosis without underlying systemic disease.

Mucormycosis (or zygomycosis) is an opportunistic fungal infection which usually is seen in patients who are immunosuppressed or who have diabetes. It is uncommon in healthy persons and also is uncommon in Australia. We report a case of a 45-year-old, otherwise-healthy man with an indolent lung infection that was caused by Absidia corymbifera, who was cured by a combination of surgical and medical therapy.

Recurrent lobar infiltrate and chronic pancreatitis.

Recurrent left lower lobe infiltrates have not been described previously in association with chronic pancreatitis. We report a patient with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis and recurrent haemoptysis, left pleuritic chest pain and left lower lobe infiltrates who was treated successfully by distal pancreatectomy. Pancreaticobronchial fistula is a likely aetiology, although this was not confirmed anatomically in our case. The diagnosis should be considered in unexplained cases of recurring radiological abnormalities that are associated with chronic pancreatitis.

Pulmonary disease from occupational exposure to an artificial aluminium silicate used for cat litter.

All available workers engaged in bagging an artificial crystalline aluminium silicate--the kiln-dried residue from the calcining and water extraction of alunite (a hydrated sulphate of aluminium and potassium) that is currently classified as a nuisance dust--were studied after a complaint of respiratory and systemic symptoms, including arthritis, by an employee of the factory, who showed physiological and radiographic evidence of diffuse pulmonary fibrosis and in whom lung biopsy showed diffuse fibrosis with granulomas. Inhalation challenge produced a transient decrease in transfer factor and transfer factor standardised for alveolar volume. Twenty-five subjects were known to have been exposed at some time to the dust of alunite-residue. Of the 17 who could be contacted, all agreed to attend for respiratory questionnaire and occupational history, pulmonary function testing (spirometry, lung volumes, gas transfer), and posteroanterior chest radiograph. Six subjects considered that occupational exposure to the dust was responsible for respiratory symptoms. Three subjects had abnormality of the chest radiograph consistent with pulmonary fibrosis. The mean percentage of predicted transfer factor standardised for effective alveolar volume was 71.1% in subjects with abnormal chest radiographs and 86.6% in subjects with normal radiographs (p = 0.10). There was a trend in the correlation between the percentage of predicted transfer factor standardised for effective alveolar volume and total dust exposure (sum of the products of grade of severity of each exposure period and duration of each exposure period in months) (r = 0.40 p = 0.10). This study suggests that there may be a relation between inhalation of the dust of this form of aluminium silicate and pulmonary fibrosis.

A controlled trial of intravenous salbutamol and aminophylline in acute asthma.

In a randomized double-blind trial an intravenous injection of salbutamol (100mug) was compared with an intravenous injection of aminophylline (250mg) in 23 patients with acute exacerbations of asthma. Salbutamol (11 cases) and aminophylline (12) produced a mean proportionate increase in FEV of 26% and 23% respectively. Blood gas pressures showed a trend to improvement with a mean rise in oxygen tension of 2mm Hg(0-2kPa) in the aminophylline group and of 6mm Hg (0-8kPa) in the salbutamol group. Electrocardiogram patterns also showed overall improvement, and mean decreases in pulse rate of 8 beats per minute and 2 beats per minute were noted in the aminophylline and salbutamol groups respectively. Differences in results did not reach conventional levels of significance and no serious side effects were noted. It was concluded that in the doses and routes of administration compared, salbutamol was as effective as aminophylline.