Pulmonary medicine and palliative care.

Gynaecological malignancies affect the respiratory system both directly and indirectly. Malignant pleural effusion is a poor prognostic factor: management options include repeated thoracentesis, chemical pleurodesis, symptomatic relief of dyspnoea with oxygen and morphine, and external drainage. Parenchymal metastases are typically multifocal and respond to chemotherapy, with a limited role for pulmonary metastatectomy. Pulmonary tumour embolism is frequently associated with lymphangitic carcinomatosis, and is most common in choriocarcinoma. Thromboembolic disease, associated with the hypercoagulable state of cancer, is treated with anticoagulation. Inferior vena cava filter placement is indicated when anticoagulation cannot be given, or when emboli recur despite adequate anticoagulation. Palliative care has a major role for respiratory symptoms of gynaecological malignancies. Treatable causes of dyspnoea include bronchospasm, fluid overload and retained secretions. Opiates are effective at relieving dyspnoea associated with effusions, metatases, and lymphangitic tumour spread. Non-pharmacological therapies include energy conservation, home redesign, and dyspnoea relief strategies, including pursed lip breathing, relaxation, oxygen, circulation of air with a fan, and attention to spiritual suffering. Identification and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux, sinusitis, and asthma can improve many patients' coughs. Chest wall pain responds to local radiotherapy, nerve blocks or systemic analgesia. Case examples illustrate ways to address quality of life issues.

Trichomonas in pleural effusion.

Numerous living trichomonads were seen in a parapneumonic pleural effusion, in a patient who was at risk of aspiration pneumonia because of acute alcoholism. Of all the drugs administered, metronidazole had the most favourable therapeutic effect. However, decortication was necessary for the successful outcome.

[Treatment and prophylaxis of opportunistic infections in individuals infected with HIV]. / Lecenje i profilaksa oportunistickih infekcija u bolesnika inficiranih HIV-om.

The primary causes of morbidity and mortality in persons infected with the human immunodoficiency virus are oportunistic infections. Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) induces progressive quantitative and qualitative defects in CD4 (T helper) lymphocytes. Macrophage and monocyte function may also be impaired as a result of HIV infection. Consequently, patients in the later stages of HIV infection (ARC and AIDS) frequently experiency infections against which either cellular od humoral immunity, or both, are important. A large number of viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa are capable of infecting persons with ARC or AIDS. Much of recent research efforts has been targeted at new techniques to diagnose, treat and to prevent certain opportunistic infections. Treatment is often long and ardous for both patient and physician. This review provides a practical introduction to the treatment and prevention (primary prophylaxis, secondary prophylaxis, supression, or maintenance therapy) of the most common opportunistic infections associated with HIV.

[Pulmonary manifestations of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)]. / Plucne manifestacije sindroma stecene imunodeficijencije (AIDS-om).

The lungs are the principal target organ in the infectious complications of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and this predisposition to infections is not the regional manifestation of systemic immunologic deficiency induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) only, because HIV also affects lung's own complex system of local defense mechanisms. It was demonstrated that pulmonary host defenses were compromised by.direct infection of alveolar macrophages with HIV and decreased production of solubile factors by lymphocytes derived from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was shown. The most common infectious causative agents are facultative intracellular pathogens including Pneumocystis carinii, Cryptococcus neoformans, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and cytomegalovirus, which reflects the specific defects of cell-mediated immunity. AIDS patints have, in addition, an increased incidence of infections with capsulated bacteria such as Haemophilus influenzae and Sterptococcus pneumoniae which are associated typically with the impairment of the humoral immune response. High-grade pathogens such as M. tuberculosis tende to reactivate early in the progression of immunodeficiency whereas low-grade pathogens such as P. carinii only emerge when the defect is more advanced. The profound immunodeficiency in AIDS patients means that clinical features may be quite atypical and blunted.

[Acute appendicitis in pregnancy, labour, and puerperium]. / Akutni apendicitis u trudnoci, porodu i babinjama.

Four patients with appendicitis in pregnancy and one in puerperium are described. In two pregnant women, in the 12th and the 15th week of pregnancy, the surgery was applied in time and normal deliveries followed. The third patient, after a perforated appendicitis and applied appendectomy, developed the obstruction of the intestines, was operated on again, and then had a spontaneous abortion. The fourth patient, in the 20th week of pregnancy, came to hospital with a diffuse peritonitis following a perforated appendicitis and with a dead fetus. During appendectomy the fetus was removed by using small cesarean section. The fifth patient was surgically treated on the 8th day following delivery for retrocecal perforative appendicitis and diffuse peritonitis. All the patients survived.