Introduction: This study aimed to identify the exposure levels of traffic air pollutants specifically PM10, benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) among traffic policemen and the risks to their respiratory health. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 42 traffic policemen and 42 desk-bound policemen as the exposed and comparative groups respectively. Methods: The questionnaire adapted from the American Thoracic Society for Adult Respiratory Health Disease (ATS-DLD) to obtain socio-demographic and respiratory symptoms data. A spirometer (Chestgraph Hi-105) was used to perform lung function test. A personal air sampling pump was used to measure the personal exposure level to PM10. A Ppbrae 3000 was used to measure the outdoor and indoor concentration of BTX during morning and afternoon peak hours respectively. Results: The mean personal exposure level of PM10 among the traffic policemen was 150.14 ± 130.66 µg/m3 compared to only 84.14 ± 94.11 µg/m3 in the comparative group. The short exposures to BTX at the roadsides were found to be slightly higher in the afternoons than in the mornings. Indoor offices air concentrations were only detectable for benzene while the mornings and afternoons values for toluene and xylene were below the detection limits. A median concentration of benzene documented significantly higher at the selected of sampling roadsides areas (median=0.157 ppm) than indoor office areas (median=0.071 ppm). Conclusion: The respiratory symptoms were significantly higher in the exposed group compared to the comparative group which they were 3.9, 4.1, and 3.5 times more likely to develop cough, wheezing, and breathlessness respectively.
Respiratory health

This cross-sectional study involved 339 students aged 12-15 at Sapa and Yen Binh regions. It measured and compared indexes such as vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume 1 (FEV1), and Tiffeneau index. Results: there weren’t significant differences between VC, FEV1 and Tiffeneau indexes of students in both sexes of 2 regions (p<0.05). There is a close correlation between VC and height of student (r>0.9), and between FEV1 and height (r>0.9)
Preventive Medicine ; Public Health ; Alkalosis, Respiratory

BACKGROUND: This study purposed to survey the fit rate of respirators by person and by product through conducting a qualitative fit test of high-efficiency respirators; moreover, this study also tests for differences in the fit rates determined by the qualitative fit tests with an increase in the number of the types of respirators tested. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 30 healthcare personnel who had passed a sensitivity test. The fit test of high-efficiency respirators was conducted using FT10 (3M Co., USA), an experimental tool used for performing the qualitative fit test of high-efficiency respirators, and three types of high-efficiency respirators - 1860, PFR95, and N7000 - were tested. RESULTS: The qualitative fit test was performed for the three types of high-efficiency respirators and the fit rate of the respirators that the subjects had been using previously was 43.3%; however, the probability that one or more of the three types of high-efficiency respirators would fit the subjects increased to 83.3%, and this increase was statistically significant (P<0.05). The difference in the fit rates of the three types of high-efficiency respirator types was not statistically significant; however, the differences in the satisfaction of and preference for the different respirator products were all statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Healthcare personnel are using ill-fitting respirators and a qualitative fit test should be performed to improve the fit of their respirator. In the qualitative fit test performed for the high-efficiency respirators, the fit rate increased with the increase in the variety of respirator types. Thus, a large variety of respirators should be made available to increase the fit rate of high-efficiency respirators for healthcare personnel.
Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Respiratory Protective Devices ; Ventilators, Mechanical

OBJECTIVEThe modern systemic physiology, based on limit-understand functional classification, has significant limitation and one-sidedness. Human being is organic; we should approach the mechanism of control and regulation of breathing integrating all the systems.

METHODSWe use new theory of holistic integrative physiology and medicine to explain the mechanism of control and regulation of breathing.

RESULTSExcept the mean level information, the up-down "W" waveform information of arterial blood gas (ABG) is core signal to control and regulate breathing. In order to do so, we must integrate all systems together. New theory will help to explain some unanswered questions in physiology and medicine, for example: fetal does not breathing; how first breath generate; how respiratory rhythm and frequency generate, etc.

CONCLUSIONBreathing is the sign of life. Mechanism of control and regulation of breathing has to integrate respiration, circulation, nerves, metabolism, exercise, sleep and digestion, absorption and elimination and etc altogether.

Some of the highest exposures to air pollutants in developing countries occur inside homes where solid biofuel, particularly wood fuel, is used for daily cooking. A relatively high proportion of the world population living in these countries is exposed to increased levels of indoor air pollutants produced by inefficiently burning stoves. Inhalation of these pollutants may have serious consequences, which are highlighted in this paper, for the respiratory health of the people who have been exposed.
Respiratory ; Health ; Papua New Guinea ; livin ; g <3>

Dengue ; Tuberculosis ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Communicable Diseases ; Primary Health Care

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a major concern nowadays because of the universality of exposure and its potential negative impact on human health especially on children. This study is intended to explore the association between IAQ and the respiratory health among preschool children in urban and suburban area. A cross-sectional comparative study was carried out among Malay preschool children in urban (N= 60, Puchong) and suburban (N=60, Hulu Langat) areas. An indoor air quality assessment was conducted in 12 preschools and 60 houses which include parameters of PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, mold, bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and physical parameters. A set of standardized questionnaire was distributed to obtain respondents’ background information, exposure history and respiratory health symptoms. Spirometry test was carried out and the data obtained were analyzed to determine the lung function of the respondents. There was a significant difference between IAQ in urban and suburban preschools for all parameters measured (p<0.05). Most of the pollutants were significantly associated with respiratory health symptoms. There was a significant association between the level of indoor pollutants with the lung function abnormalities among the respondents. Even though this study is the first to take Gram-negative bacteria as an indoor air pollutant, the finding also shows that there is a significant association between exposure of Gram-negative bacteria with lung function impairment and higher reported respiratory symptoms among the respondents. The finding concluded that exposures to indoor air pollutants, especially PM2.5 increases the risk of getting lung function abnormality and respiratory health symptoms among respondents.
Indoor air quality ; mold ; bacteria ; lung function ; respiratory health symptoms

OBJECTIVE: A significant concern has been raised about the emerging resistance that is largely caused by the excessive or inappropriate use of antibacterial agents for viral respiratory infections. This study investigated the trend of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and the use of antibiotics. METHODS: Utilizing the national level health insurance claims data from 2005 to 2008, we examined encounter days, antibiotic use, and the prescription rate for respiratory tract infections including upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), and otitis media in outpatient settings. The antibiotic use was measured as defined daily dose per 1,000 patients per day (DDD/1,000 patients/day). RESULTS: The visit for URTI increased from 141,693,465 in 2005 to 120,717,966 in 2008 and the visit for LRTI decreased from 61,778,718 to 66,930,122. For RTIs, prescription rates of antibiotics decreased from 65.2% to 58.5% for URTIs and 76.9% to 68.3% for LRTIs from 2005 to 2008. The antibiotic use decreased to 20.85 DDD/1,000 patients/day after a significant increase of 22.01 DDD/1,000 patients/day in 2006. Among antibiotics, J01CR had the highest use- 7.93 DDD/1,000 patients/day followed by J01DC of 3.71 DDD/1,000 patients/day and J01FA of 3.2 DDD/1,000 patients/day. One notable trend is that J01FA presented a continuous increase in antibiotic use from 2.3 in 2005 to 3.26 DDD/1,000 patients/day in 2008. CONCLUSION: The use of antibiotics had poor compliance to guidelines for RTIs. Despite decrease in the use of antibiotics, prescription rates for URTIs were still about 50% indicating that the delayed prescribing antibiotics (or wait-and-see) were not observed.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Compliance ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Otitis Media ; Outpatients ; Prescriptions ; Respiratory System ; Respiratory Tract Infections

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new infectious disease that emerged in mid- November 2002 in Guangdong, southern China. The global pandemic began in late February 2003 in Hong Kong. By the time SARS was declared contained on 5 July 2003 by the World Health Organization (WHO), it had afflicted 8096 patients in 29 countries. No other disease had had such a phenomenal impact on healthcare workers (HCWs), who formed about 21% of SARS patients. In Vietnam, Canada and Singapore, HCWs accounted for 57%, 43% and 41% of SAR patients, respectively. At the beginning of the outbreak, there was practically no information on this disease, which did not even have a name until 16 March 2003, except that it was infectious and could result in potentially fatal respiratory failure. Indeed, HCWs had lost their lives to SARS. Understandably, some HCWs refused to look after SARS patients or even resigned. Initially, much negative publicity was given to such HCWs. It was a very trying time for HCWs as many were also ostracised by the society which they served. They were perceived to be a potential source of infection in the community because of their contact with SARS patients, whom they risked their lives looking after. Subsequently, as we learnt more about the disease and educated the public about the plight of the frontline HCWs, the public gave the frontline HCWs tremendous support and even honoured them as heroes. Being in the medical profession, caring for patients is one of our expected responsibilities. On the other hand, as public citizens, HCWs have the right to resign when they feel that their responsibility to their families should take priority over that to their patients. As a result of this scourge, each HCW learnt to decide if caring for patients is their chosen profession and vocation. Many chose to live up the Hippocratic oath.
Delivery of Health Care ; standards ; Disease Outbreaks ; prevention & control ; Global Health ; Humans ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; epidemiology

Human Respiratory Syncytial virus (hRSV) is a leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract diseases in the pediatric population.hRSV frequently causes severe morbidity and mortality in high risk groups including infants with congenital heart disease and the immunosuppressed patients. Although hRSV is recognized as a major public health threat and economic burden worldwide, there is no licensed vaccine and effective therapeutic agent. Viral nonstructural (NS) proteins have been known to play multiple functions for efficient viral replication and pathogenesis. Especially, diverse functions of influenza A virus NS1 have been extensively studies. Recent studies demonstrated that NS1 and NS2 of RSV also exert diverse functions to modulate cellular environment and antiviral immune responses. Since NS proteins of RSV are required for efficient replication and pathogenesis, NS mutant viruses have been tested as live-attenuated vaccines. This review will outline the recent progress in understanding the various functions of RSV NS1 and NS2.
Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Infant ; Influenza A virus ; Interferons ; Mortality ; Public Health ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses* ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; Vaccines