Occurrence of tuberculosis among people exposed to cattle in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) has been an important public health concern in Bangladesh. The most common cause of human TB is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, while bovine TB is caused by Mycobacterium bovis. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of TB in individuals with occupational exposure to cattle and to detect Mycobacterium bovis among cattle in slaughterhouses in Bangladesh. METHODS: Between August 2014 and September 2015, an observational study was conducted in two government chest disease hospitals, one cattle market, and two slaughterhouses. [Correction added on 27 June 2023, after first online publication: In the preceding sentence, the year "2014" has been added after the word "August".] Sputum samples were collected from individuals who met the criteria for suspected TB and had been exposed to cattle. Tissue samples were collected from cattle that had low body condition score(s). Both humans and cattle samples were screened for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) by Ziehl-Neelsen (Z-N) staining and cultured for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). Region of difference (RD) 9-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was also performed to identify Mycobacterium spp. We also conducted Spoligotyping to identify the specific strain of Mycobacterium spp. RESULTS: Sputum was collected from a total of 412 humans. The median age of human participants was 35 (IQR: 25-50) years. Twenty-five (6%) human sputum specimens were positive for AFB, and 44 (11%) were positive for MTC by subsequent culture. All (N = 44) culture-positive isolates were confirmed as Mycobacterium tuberculosis by RD9 PCR. Besides, 10% of cattle workers were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the cattle market. Of all TB (caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis) infected individuals, 6.8% of individuals were resistant to one or two anti-TB drugs. The majority of the sampled cattle (67%) were indigenous breeds. No Mycobacterium bovis was detected in cattle. CONCLUSIONS: We did not detect any TB cases caused by Mycobacterium bovis in humans during the study. However, we detected TB cases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in all humans, including cattle market workers.

Anosmia in COVID-19 Patients: Can We Predict the Severity of Chest Manifestations?

Abstract Introduction Anosmia is one of the common symptoms of COVID-19, the link between severity of chest infection and anosmia was investigated by few studies. Objectives To find an association between anosmia and severity of chest infection. Methods An analysis of patients admitted to isolation hospital of our university with confirmed polymerase chain reaction positive testing for COVID-19, between March 2021 until September 2021. We called all patients who reported anosmia during their time of illness and asked them about anosmia. We examined their chest CT. A statistical analysis was done. Results A total of 140 patients completed the study; 65% were female and 56.4% had complete anosmia. Anosmia was significantly associated with loss of taste. Smell returned in 92.5% of anosmic patients. Duration of smell loss was ~ 2 weeks in 40.5%. The most common symptoms associated with anosmia were running nose, sore throat, fever, and cough. Loss of smell was significantly associated with mild chest disease. 73.4% of anosmic patients had mild chest infection, 21.5% of them had moderate infection, and 5.1% had severe chest infection. Conclusion The pattern of anosmia in COVID-19 patients has some common similarities in general; the way it starts, the associated symptoms, the time until smell returns and, the most important, the severity of chest infection. As anosmia is significantly associated with mild chest infection. the presence of anosmia could be an independent predictor of good COVID-19 outcome as reflected by a lower disease severity and less frequent ICU admissions.

Anosmia in COVID-19 Patients: Can We Predict the Severity of Chest Manifestations?

Introduction Anosmia is one of the common symptoms of COVID-19, the link between severity of chest infection and anosmia was investigated by few studies. Objectives To find an association between anosmia and severity of chest infection. Methods An analysis of patients admitted to isolation hospital of our university with confirmed polymerase chain reaction positive testing for COVID-19, between March 2021 until September 2021. We called all patients who reported anosmia during their time of illness and asked them about anosmia. We examined their chest CT. A statistical analysis was done. Results A total of 140 patients completed the study; 65% were female and 56.4% had complete anosmia. Anosmia was significantly associated with loss of taste. Smell returned in 92.5% of anosmic patients. Duration of smell loss was ∼ 2 weeks in 40.5%. The most common symptoms associated with anosmia were running nose, sore throat, fever, and cough. Loss of smell was significantly associated with mild chest disease. 73.4% of anosmic patients had mild chest infection, 21.5% of them had moderate infection, and 5.1% had severe chest infection. Conclusion The pattern of anosmia in COVID-19 patients has some common similarities in general; the way it starts, the associated symptoms, the time until smell returns and, the most important, the severity of chest infection. As anosmia is significantly associated with mild chest infection. the presence of anosmia could be an independent predictor of good COVID-19 outcome as reflected by a lower disease severity and less frequent ICU admissions.

OPTimal IMAging strategy in patients suspected of non-traumatic pulmonary disease at the emergency department: chest X-ray or ultra-low-dose chest CT (OPTIMACT) trial-statistical analysis plan.

BACKGROUND: A chest X-ray is a standard imaging procedure in the diagnostic work-up of patients suspected of having non-traumatic pulmonary disease. Compared to a chest X-ray, an ultra-low-dose (ULD) chest computed tomography (CT) scan provides substantially more detailed information on pulmonary conditions. To what extent this translates into an improvement in patient outcomes and health care efficiency is yet unknown. The OPTimal IMAging strategy in patients suspected of non-traumatic pulmonary disease at the emergency department: chest X-ray or ultra-low-dose chest CT (OPTIMACT) study is a multicenter, pragmatic, non-inferiority randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate replacement of chest X-ray by ULD chest CT in the diagnostic work-up of such patients, in terms of patient-related health outcomes and costs. During randomly assigned periods of 1 calendar month, either conventional chest X-ray or ULD chest CT scan was used as the imaging strategy. This paper presents in detail the statistical analysis plan of the OPTIMACT trial, developed prior to data analysis. METHODS/RESULTS: Functional health at 28 days is the primary clinical outcome. Functional health at 28 days is measured by the physical component summary scale of the Short Form (SF)-12 questionnaire version 1. Secondary outcomes are mental health (mental component summary scale of the SF-12), length of hospital stay, mortality within 28 days, quality-adjusted life year equivalent during the first 28 days (derived from the EuroQol five-dimension, five-level instrument), correct diagnoses at emergency department discharge as compared to the final post hoc diagnosis at day 28, number of patients in follow-up because of incidental findings on chest X-ray or ULD chest CT, and health care costs. CONCLUSIONS: After this pragmatic trial we will have precise estimates of the effectiveness of replacing chest X-ray with ULD chest CT in terms of patient-related health outcomes and costs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands National Trial Register: NTR6163. Registered on 6 December 2016.

OPTimal IMAging strategy in patients suspected of non-traumatic pulmonary disease at the emergency department: chest X-ray or ultra-low-dose CT (OPTIMACT)-a randomised controlled trial chest X-ray or ultra-low-dose CT at the ED: design and rationale.

BACKGROUND: Chest X-ray has been the standard imaging method for patients suspected of non-traumatic pulmonary disease at the emergency department (ED) for years. Recently, ultra-low-dose chest computed tomography (ULD chest CT) has been introduced, which provides substantially more detailed information on pulmonary conditions that may cause pulmonary disease, with a dose in the order of chest X-ray (0.1 vs. 0.05 mSv). The OPTimal IMAging strategy in patients suspected of non-traumatic pulmonary disease at the emergency department: chest X-ray or CT (OPTIMACT) study is a randomized trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of replacing chest X-ray for ULD chest CT in the diagnostic work-up of patients suspected of non-traumatic pulmonary disease at the ED. METHODS: Two thousand four hundred patients presenting at the ED with pulmonary complaints and suspected of non-traumatic pulmonary disease will be enrolled in this multicenter, pragmatic, randomized trial. During randomly assigned periods of one calendar month, either conventional chest X-ray or ULD chest CT scan will be used as the imaging strategy. Randomization will rely on computer-generated blocks of 2 months to control for seasonal effects. Chest X-ray and ULD chest CT will be performed in a standardized way, after obtaining the clinical history and performing physical examination and initial laboratory tests. The primary outcome measure is functional health at 28 days. Secondary outcome measures are mental health, length of hospital stay, mortality within 28 days, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) during the first 28 days, correct diagnoses at ED discharge as compared to the final post hoc diagnosis, and number of patients in follow-up because of incidental findings on chest X-ray or ULD chest CT. In an economic evaluation, we will estimate total health care costs during the first 28 days. DISCUSSION: This pragmatic trial will clarify the effects of replacing chest X-ray by ULD chest CT in daily practice, in terms of patient-related health outcomes and costs, in the diagnostic work-up of patients suspected of non-traumatic pulmonary disease at the ED. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The OPTIMACT trial is registered in the Netherlands National Trial Register under number NTR6163. The date of registration is December 6, 2016.

Characteristics of group-occurring lung paragonimiasis in early stage in CT / 中国人兽共患病学报

To investigate the CT appearances in early stage of clustering lung paragonimiasis,9 cases of two clustering lung paragonimiasis caused by eating raw stone-crab and laboratory examination were included in the study.Eight cases consulted by doctors in the hospital and their appearances were retrospectively analyzed.There were pleural effusion of varying degree (n=8) and random distribution sub-pleural pulmonary infiltrative lesions (n=7).The accompany appearances of the latter had lunar halo sign,characteristic tunnel sign (n=1) and peri-bronchitis (n=1).If CT detects pulmonary infiltrative lesions of random distribution within sub-pleura or tunnel sign,combining with the history of eating raw stone crabs and other freshwater fishes,with the rise of eosinophilic granulocytes in peripheral blood,the diagnosis of paragonimiasis should be suggested.

Treatment of chest disease with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in municipal Hospital / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore the safety, feasibility and learning curve of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) in treatment of thoracic diseases. Method    We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 591 patients of thoracic surgery in our hospital between September 2009 and September 2016. There were 378 males and 213 females at age of 14–82 years. Result    All patients were successfully completed surgery. Twelve patients converted to open chest with conversion rate of 2.0%. Postoperative complications occurred in 24 patients (4.1%). Four patients died during the perioperative period, and mortality rate was 0.7%. The learning curve of VATS for lung cancer was about 25 patients. And the learning curve of video-assisted laparoscopy for resection of esophageal cancer was about 15 patients. Conclusion    VATS is safety and feasible for the chest disease patients in municipal hospital, and is worthy to popularize.

Editor's Choice-Biomarkers of acute cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

Acute cardiothoracic and respiratory diseases frequently remain a challenge to diagnose and differentiate in the emergency setting. The main diseases that manifest with chest pain include ischaemic heart disease, myocarditis, acute pericarditis, aortic dissection/rupture and pulmonary embolism (PE). Diseases that primarily present with dyspnoea include heart failure (HF), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia, asthma exacerbations and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pre-test probabilities of clinical findings play a vital part in diagnostic decisions, and the use of a Bayesian approach to these greatly improves the ability to stratify patients more accurately. However, blood tests (biomarkers) are increasingly used to assist in rapid decision-making in the emergency setting in combination with imaging methods such as chest radiograph, ultrasound and increasingly computed tomography, as well as physiological tests such as the electrocardiogram in addition to physical examination. Specific tests for ischaemic heart disease and myocarditis (cardiac troponins), HF (B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP)), aortic dissection (smooth muscle markers) and PE (D-dimer) have been developed. Surfactant protein-D and interleukin-8 have been developed for ARDS. Additionally, circulating microRNAs have emerged as promising biomarker candidates in cardiovascular disease. With this increasing array of biochemical markers to aid in the diagnosis of chest diseases presenting with chest pain and dyspnoea, we herein review the clinical usefulness of these markers, in particular in differentiating cardiac from pulmonary diseases. A symptom-oriented assessment as necessary for use in the critical setting is described in addition to discussion of individual biomarkers.