[Treatment using Motilium of gastro-esophageal reflux associated with respiratory manifestations in children]

Eighteen children aged 1 month to 12 years 8 months (mean age, 4.9 years) with pH-metry proven gastroesophageal reflux (GOR)-associated chronic respiratory disorders were treated with Motilium, 2 mg/kg/d in four divided doses, for three months. The incidence of each of the respiratory manifestations decreased, and their cumulative score improved significantly at the end of the treatment period. Patient daily self-assessment scores also fell, but not significantly. Twenty-one hour pH recordings showed a significant reduction in the duration of nocturnal episodes below 4 (2.8 +/- 0.9% versus 8.2 +/- 2.6%, p less than 0.05). No side effects were recorded. Domperidone provides satisfactory control of nocturnal GOR and therefore emerges as a valuable agent for the treatment of chronic GOR-associated respiratory disorders in childhood.

Efficacy of a homoeopathic prophylaxis against experimental infection of calves by the bovine lungworm Dictyocaulus viviparus

Two groups of parasite-free calves, one of which had been treated with four doses of a homoeopathic oral vaccine for parasitic bronchitis due to Dictyocaulus viviparus and the other with a placebo, were infected at the rate of 25 infective larvae/kg bodyweight 18 days after the final dose. Both groups became severely affected by parasitic bronchitis, with clinical signs starting 13 days after infection. There were no discernible differences between the treated and control groups in their manifestations of resistance to D viviparus or their clinical responses to the disease produced.

Prevention of chronic bronchitis exacerbations with ambroxol (mucosolvan retard). An open, long-term, multicenter study in 5,635 patients

Different therapies can be applied for the prevention of chronic bronchitis exacerbations: vaccinations, antibiotics, immunomodulating and mucoregulating drugs. Among the latter, ambroxol was tested in a multicenter open study in 5,635 outpatients during a 6-month winter period. The results achieved in a large and heterogeneous number of patients confirm the positive trend already observed in a multicenter double-blind study versus placebo in 214 patients. Particularly significant is the decrease in the number of exacerbations with time, above all in patients with more than 2-3 episodes. In parallel, the improvement in the clinical pattern, observed through the contemporaneous assessment of respiratory signs and symptoms and of the length of antibiotic therapy, confirms the soundness of the results achieved.

Efficacy of infectious bronchitis virus vaccines against heterologous challenge

Twenty-four-week-old white Leghorn layers were inoculated subcutaneously with a killed Newcastle disease-infectious bronchitis (Massachusetts type) virus (MIBV) vaccine. Twenty-eight weeks after vaccination, the birds were challenged intraocularly with the Arkansas strain of infectious bronchitis virus (AIBV) to determine the effects of heterologous virus exposure on egg production, egg quality and serum antibody response of the birds. The challenged hens laid significantly (P less than 0.005) fewer eggs than the unchallenged layers. Eggs laid by the unchallenged groups weighed significantly more (P less than 0.005) than those laid by the challenged groups. Further, the internal quality (Haugh units) and shell quality of eggs laid by the AIBV-challenged hens was significantly (P less than 0.005) inferior to those from the unchallenged hens. In addition, the AIBV-challenged hens laid more soft-shell, misshapen and small eggs than the unchallenged hens. The Arkansas serum haemagglutination inhibition (AIBV-HI) titres of AIBV challenged birds increased up to four weeks after challenge. The corresponding MIBV haemagglutination-inhibition (MIBV-HI) titres decreased during the same period. The study indicates that killed MIBV vaccine offered no protection to birds exposed to heterologous AIBV.

[Procaterol in the prevention of recurrent asthmatic bronchitis. Double-blind study]

In a study in double-blind it has considered if the procaterol, given for a month, had been able to develop a preventive action in children affected from relapsing asthmatic bronchitis. For that the clinical symptomatology, the number of the contagious events and the consumption of the drugs have been valued for two following months. The patients who had taken the procaterol, presented a reduction of the contagious events, of the consumption of the drugs and of the spastic bronchus symptomatology in the first month of the treatment which continued in the second month. In spite of the development of the contagious events, in the third month, the pulmonary symptomatology resulted inferior in comparison with the group of check. It is likely than the treatment with procaterol avoids the arisen of the spastic-bronchus symptomatology for a rise of the threshold of bronchial re-established, consequent to the re-establishment of the mucous lesions.

Use of an oxfendazole pulse release bolus in the control of parasitic gastroenteritis and parasitic bronchitis in first-season grazing calves

The efficacy of the oxfendazole pulse release bolus system for the control of parasitic gastroenteritis and parasitic bronchitis in first-season grazing calves was evaluated in Belgium. Twenty-two calves were allocated to two groups. The calves in one group received a bolus at the time of turn out, while the other group remained untreated. The efficacy of the bolus was assessed by comparison of faecal worm egg counts, plasma pepsinogen concentrations, the antibody response to Ostertagia, Cooperia and Dictyocaulus species total plasma protein and albumin concentrations, and weight gains throughout the grazing season and the housing period. The oxfendazole pulse release bolus provided good control of parasitic gastroenteritis dominated by ostertagia. The effects of parasitic gastritis were greatly reduced as shown by the significantly lower values of serum pepsinogen and ostertagia antibody titres. The use of the bolus further reduced the adverse effects of parasitism as indicated by better liveweight gains and normal total plasma protein and albumin concentrations whereas in the untreated control group hypoproteinaemia and hypoalbuminaemia were observed. Most animals exhibited clinical signs of parasitic bronchitis at the end of the grazing season, and the bolus may not adequately control parasitic bronchitis in all cases at all times.

Oxfendazole pulse release intraruminal devices and bovine parasitic bronchitis: comparison of two control strategies in a field experiment

Lungworm-infected seeder calves were used on two 1.41 ha paddocks to ensure that groups of 11 susceptible trial calves would be exposed to heavy early season challenge with Dictyocaulus viviparus. This produced conditions for an artificially severe test of two control strategies. The first employed a front-loaded oxfendazole pulse release bolus, ie, an intraruminal device which released one therapeutic anthelmintic dose immediately and five subsequent pulses at approximately three-weekly intervals. These front-loaded boluses were given to five of 11 calves on one paddock as soon as parasitic bronchitis had become clinically obvious (34 days after turnout) while the remaining six calves were kept as untreated controls. Clinical signs quickly subsided in the treated animals and no further respiratory problems occurred despite continued exposure to reinfection. The other control strategy involved the administration at turnout of an oxfendazole pulse release device which released the first of five anthelmintic doses approximately three weeks after administration, to all 11 calves on the other paddock. This strategy was almost completely successful in preventing patent infections from establishing and reduced the infectivity of the pasture in August and September by 94.1 per cent as shown by tracer calf studies. The calves treated at turnout performed better than the calves treated with the front-loaded boluses for most of the season and had an average weight-gain advantage of 20.4 kg at housing (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Control of parasitic bronchitis and gastroenteritis in grazing cattle by strategic prophylaxis with ivermectin

In May 1985 four groups of 10 calves, aged between four and five months, were turned out on to separate, permanent pastures of equal area which had been seeded during the previous few days with larvae of Dictyocaulus viviparus. One group acted as a control, the second was vaccinated with lungworm vaccine before turnout and treated with thiabendazole three, eight and 13 weeks after turnout, while the third and fourth groups were given ivermectin three times (three, eight and 13 weeks after turnout) and twice (three and eight weeks after turnout), respectively. A severe outbreak of parasitic bronchitis resulted in the death of three control calves within five weeks of turnout and parasitic bronchitis and gastroenteritis affected the second group of calves after approximately four months at pasture. The calves given ivermectin excreted no lungworm larvae and remained free of clinical parasitism throughout the trial.

[Use of UV autologous blood irradiation for preventing the occurrence of tracheobronchitis during tracheostomy]

The authors made an analysis of incidence of tracheobronchitis in patients with tracheostomy. It was established that tracheobronchitis followed 15 of 57 tracheostomies. The use of UV autologous blood irradiation in 17 patients with tracheostomy gave only one case of tracheobronchitis while in 40 operated patients without the procedure there were 14 cases of the complication. Thus, the authors believe that the administration of UV autologous blood irradiation in tracheostomy gives 6 times less incidence of tracheobronchitis in the patients, the method being of value in prevention of the complications.

Efficacy of pneumococcal vaccine in high-risk patients. Results of a Veterans Administration Cooperative Study

We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to test the efficacy of the 14-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine in 2295 high-risk patients (patients with one or more of the following: age above 55 years and the presence of chronic cardiac, pulmonary, renal, or hepatic disease, alcoholism, or diabetes mellitus). Seventy-one episodes of proved or probable pneumococcal pneumonia or bronchitis occurred among 63 of the patients (27 placebo recipients and 36 vaccine recipients). Vaccine-serotype Streptococcus pneumoniae strains were recovered in association with 11 infections in the placebo group and 14 infections in the vaccine group. Pneumococcal infections occurred most frequently among patients with chronic pulmonary, cardiac, or renal diseases. Among vaccine recipients who subsequently had vaccine-type pneumonia or bronchitis, the majority did not make or sustain serum antibodies against their infecting organism in concentrations that were twice as high as the base-line values, or more than 400 ng of antibody nitrogen per milliliter, although their base-line levels were higher than those in subjects in whom infection did not develop. We were unable to demonstrate any efficacy of the pneumococcal vaccine in preventing pneumonia or bronchitis in this population. Our data suggest that chronically ill patients, who are most susceptible to infection, may have an impaired immune response to the pneumococcal vaccine.

Chronic bronchitis: prevalence, smoking habits, impact, and antismoking advice

Although the prevalence of chronic bronchitis has been measured in several populations, its impact on quality of life has not been assessed. We report the prevalence and impact of chronic bronchitis (defined as having phlegm on most days for at least 3 months during the previous year) among 4,708 adults ages 20 to 69 representative of the nonaged U.S. population. Men reported chronic bronchitis more frequently than women (12 vs 8%); smokers, regardless of age and sex, reported chronic bronchitis more frequently than former or never smokers. Among both men and women 35 years of age or older, current smokers--as opposed to ex- or never smokers--with chronic bronchitis had the poorest forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1). The most commonly reported impact of chronic bronchitis was worry, followed by pain and restricted activity days, regardless of age, sex, or smoking habits. Of those current and ex-smokers who had seen a physician about their chronic bronchitis, 65% of men and 44% of women had decreased or stopped smoking. Among those current and ex-smokers with chronic bronchitis who did not consult a physician, the proportion of those who had decreased or stopped smoking was 29% for men and 37% for women. Finally, only 43% of male current smokers and 55% of female current smokers who had chronic bronchitis reported that a physician had advised them to decrease or stop smoking.

[Assessment of the immune status of chronic bronchitis patients in the remission phase during prophylactic treatment with levamisole and staphylococcal vaccine]

The work presents the results of the study of the immune status in 18 patients with chronic bronchitis at the stage of remission, subjected to prolonged prophylactic treatment with the inhalations of levamisole solution, and in 16 patients receiving the inhalations of staphylococcal vaccine. These results indicate that the inhalations of levamisole have proved to be more effective than the inhalations of staphylococcal vaccine. In patients treated with levamisole an essential decrease in the ratio of theophylline-resistant to theophylline-sensitive E-rosette-forming lymphocytes has been noted. The determination of the sensitivity of lymphocytes and neutrophils to incubation with levamisole by means of the rosette-formation test makes it possible to prognosticate, taking into account the initial level of spontaneous E-rosette formation of these cells, the effectiveness of the prophylactic treatment of patients with chronic bronchitis. The determination of the sensitivity of the cells to incubation with staphylococcal toxoid is ineffective for the prognostication of the result of the treatment of such patients with staphylococcal vaccine.

Naturally occurring parasitic bronchitis in red deer: effect of vaccination using live bovine lungworm vaccine

Fifteen red deer calves were put to pasture in two groups, at the same set stocking rates, one group of 10 and one of five, in separate but adjoining enclosures likely to be carrying infective stage larvae of dictyocaulus naturally parasitising the red deer of Scotland. The group of 10 had been vaccinated with a live, bovine lungworm oral vaccine; the group of five had not. Results did not indicate any advantage to the vaccinated deer in weight gain or general health but they excreted fewer dictyocaulus larvae. The findings, although based on only a few animals, support the conclusion that vaccination of red deer would not give them increased protection against the establishment of naturally occurring dictyocaulus infection although it would enhance the suppression of larval production.