Heavy Breathing Research Articles

Design of Active Stabilization Controller for a Tactical Rifle

Abstract:This paper describes an inertial stabilized rifle where a recurve actuator, constructed frompiezoelectric material, is used to internially stabilize the barrel assembly of a tactical rifle tocompensate for the small user-induced disturbances. This system is an active stabilization systemdesigned to decouple the shooter’s interruption effects from the barrel movement based on controlsystems. Based on the feedback of the targeting error from the sensors, a control system will calculatethe desired displacement and force needed to cancel out the human disturbances that are imparted tothe rifle. The actuators are designed to cancel out jitter disturbances in a frequency range of 0Hz-5HzIt presents research to help protect and increase the defenses of soldiers on ground. While in battlethese soldiers’ defenses and performance suffer due the intense stressors of combat. A differentmethod for mitigating the depredating physiological effects of a soldier's marksmanship due to battlestressors can be achieved through the design and implementation of active stabilization system forsmall arms weapons. Combat stress may be defined as the perception of an imminent threat of seriouspersonal injury or death, or the stress of being tasked with the responsibility to protect another partyfrom imminent and serious injury or death, under conditions where response time is minimal.Physiological effects that result from combat include, but are not limited to, a dramatic increase inheart rate, heavy breathing, muscle tremors, and anxiety.The requirements of this system are discussed and the actuator controller are derived.This research uses pole-placement control techniques to develop control algorithms for simulation. Thelevel of performance for the control algorithm is based on how well measure up to the criteriadeveloped from the rifle.

Inhalability of micron particles through the nose and mouth

Aspiration efficiencies from nose and mouth inhalations are investigated at low and high inhalation rates by using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software CFX 11. A realistic human head with detailed facial features was constructed. Facial features were matched to represent the 50th percentile of a human male, aged between 20 and 65 years old, based on anthropometric data. The constant freestream velocity was 0.2 ms−1, normal to the face, and inhalation rates through the mouth and nose were 15 liters per minute (LPM) for light breathing and 40 LPM for heavy breathing. It was found that the flow field in the near breathing region exhibited vertical direction caused by the presence of the torso where the airstream diverges as it flows around and over the body. The critical area concept was used as a tool to determine the aspiration efficiency of particles. Comparisons between critical areas for the nose and mouth inhalations show similar geometric properties such as the area’s shape, and its vertical distance location on the x-z plane located at y = 80 cm upstream. The critical area sizes were found to be slightly larger for the mouth inhalation mainly due to the larger mouth area and also the aligned orientation of the mouth to the upstream flow, whereas the nose is perpendicular to the upstream flow. This study was undertaken to establish the flow field in the near breathing region that will help to characterize the flow and particle field for initial boundary conditions leading to a more holistic modeling approach of respiration through the internal nasal cavity and mouth.

Distal bronchial tubes damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. To study prevalence and clinical picture of distal parts of bronchial tree(bronchiolitis) in pts with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Material and methods. 104 nonsmoking pts with RA and 100 pts without RA and chronic diseases of respiratory apparatus were included. General clinical examination, spirometry, bodyplethysmography, examination of lung diffusion capacity (LDC) and multispiralcomputed tomography (MSCT) of lungs were performed. Results. Direct and indirect bronchiolitis signs were revealed with MSCT in 36 (35%) ptswith RA and 1 pt of control group (p<0,01). Pts with signs of bronchiolitis complained of shortness of breath (69% of pts), cough (56%), phlegm discharge (56%), heavy breathing (25%). Obstructive lung ventilation disturbances were revealed in 19 (53%) RA pts with bronchiolitis. Restrictive disturbances and LDC decrease were present in 3 (8%) pts. High frequency of oligosymptomatic bronchiolitis course was found in RA pts. Bronchiolitis symptoms in RA pts coincided with signs of proximal bronchial tubes damage forming picture of diffuse damage of bronchial tree. Conclusion. Bronchiolitis is a prevalent variant of respiratory apparatus damage in pts with RA. Pts with MSCT signs of bronchiolitis often have cough, phlegm discharge, shortness of breath, heavy breathing. Lung ventilation disturbances of obstructive type are common but part of pts has normal lung functional measures or restriction. Oligosymptomatic forms of distal bronchial tubes damage are prevalent in RA pts. Lung MSCT is the main method of bronchiolitis diagnostics because bronchiolitis induces nonspecific clinical signs and RA pts have multilevel respiratory apparatus damage. MSCT reveals signs of distal bronchial tubes damage in 35% of RA pts.

Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Preschool Children with Cleft Palate

The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence, range of reported symptoms, and clinical risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea in preschool children with cleft lip and/or palate. Questionnaires were distributed to parents/guardians of all children from birth to 5 years of age who were followed by the cleft clinic. Questionnaire data and cleft classification were available for 248 children, with a mean age of 33.4 months. Obstructive sleep apnea was identified in 31.4% of the children. Only 29.5% of children with obstructive sleep apnea had undergone an investigation of these symptoms. The three most common symptoms reported in children with a questionnaire diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea were (1) "heavy or loud breathing," (2) "easily distracted," and (3) "on the go" or "driven by a motor." The only clinical risk factor associated with a questionnaire diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea was the presence of a syndrome (chi(2) = 3.5, p = .05). There were no significant differences in risk of obstructive sleep apnea by age, cleft classification, and surgical status. Preschool children with cleft lip and/or palate have a risk of obstructive sleep apnea that is as much as five times that of children without cleft. Obstructive sleep apnea appears to be underrecognized in this group of children. Further research is needed to investigate important risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea in children with cleft lip and/or palate.

Heavy Breathing: Energy Conversion by Mitochondrial Respiratory Supercomplexes

The phrase "respiratory chain" implies that energy that is ultimately derived from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is produced via a linear arrangement of discrete electron transfer complexes. A recent paper in Molecular Cell (Acin-Pérez et al., 2008) calls this model into question.

Interventions for obstructive sleep apnea in children: A systematic review

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by habitual snoring, heavy breathing, sleep-related hypoxia and arousals from sleep, and is found in approximately 3% of children. To review the efficacy of medical, behavioral, mechanical and surgical interventions in improving OSA in children. Bibliographic databases, relevant conference proceedings and trial registers were searched. Randomized controlled trials assessing interventions in children with objectively diagnosed OSA (as per polysomnography; apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) or respiratory disturbance index (RDI) > or = 1/h) were considered. The search identified 1690 potentially relevant studies. The five trials that met the inclusion criteria investigated seven different interventions (intranasal steroids, adenotonsillectomy, maxillary distraction, temperature-controlled radiofrequency ablation, oral appliances, continuous and bilevel positive airway pressure therapy). Intranasal steroids had a significant advantage over placebo in decreasing the AHI (one study). Temperature-controlled radiofrequency ablation and adenotonsillectomy were equally effective in reducing the RDI (one study). Continuous and bilevel positive airway pressure therapy was equally effective in reducing the AHI (one study). There was insufficient evidence to support the use of oral appliances. Despite a broad array of treatment options for OSA, there is limited evidence to support their use. More research is needed before general recommendations can be made.

The diving bell and the butterfly (le scaphandre et le papillon).

(2008). The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon) London Journal of Primary Care: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 55-55.

Form Affects Content: Reading Jane Austen

What does it mean to hold that the significant aspects of a literary passage cannot be captured in a paraphrase? Does a change in the description of an act "risk producing a different act" from the one described? Using Jane Austen as an example, we'll consider whether her use of metaphor and symbol really amounts to calling someone a prick, whether her narrative voice changes what it is that is expressed, and whether comedy can hold just as much significance as tragedy without all the heavy breathing.

A chilly breeze leads to heavy breathing – facial cooling and the human peripheral chemoreflex

A chilly breeze leads to heavy breathing – facial cooling and the human peripheral chemoreflex

Models of Cheyne-Stokes respiration with cardiovascular pathologies

Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) is a periodic breathing pattern, characterized by short intervals of very little or no breathing (apnea), each followed by an interval of very heavy breathing (hyperpnea). This work presents a new compartmental model of the human cardio-respiratory system, simulating the factors that determine the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the compartments of the cardiovascular system and the lungs. The parameter set on which a Hopf bifurcation gives birth to stable CSR oscillations has been determined. The model predicts that the onset of CSR oscillations may result from an increase in any of: ventilation-perfusion ratio, feedback control gain, transport delay, left heart volume, lung congestion, or cardiovascular efficiency. The model is employed to investigate the relationship between CSR and serious cardiovascular pathologies, such as congestive heart failure and encephalitis, as well as the effects of acclimatization to higher altitudes. In all cases, the model is consistent with medical observations.

Prairie Fever by Mary Biddinger

W e s t e r n A m e r ic a n l it e r a t u r e S p r in g 2 0 0 8 Prairie Fever. By Mary Biddinger. Bowling Green, KY: Steel Toe Books, 2007. 84 pages, $12.00. Reviewed by Pamela St. Clair Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT “Some towns have the story / of a man gone mad” begins “Anklebone.” In Prairie Fever, Mary Biddinger is an unflinching storyteller, vivisecting lives deadened by loss or disappointment as boundless as the plains. These poems offer portraits of rural America that project the desolate solitude of an Edward Hopper painting, only grittier, images prickling with sensuality. At an annual fair, a caged girl unbuttons hourly to flash the heart grown outside of her body. The charged atmosphere in “Salsa at the Belair Lounge” is rendered in bursts of imagery—tongues and fingers, soft flesh of mango and avocado—as uninhibited as dancers drunk on music and margaritas. Quick, short lines capture the fast rhythm. The heavy breathing is palpable, with “[a]ll aprons off / and hot like bleeding.” Biddinger excels at this type of unexpected simile. The seemingly illogical— one poem begins, “Freakish, like a tapestry ”—makes, in context, perfect sense. Consistently, she focuses on the physicality of intimacy. Outside or in, the heart remains sealed off. Like drinking or death, intimacy is an escape. Emotional detachment creates the prevailing sense of isolation. “She knows my song,” the speaker says, acknowledging a woman across the bar. But recognition is no communion, no means of breeching distance. An unspoken uneasiness shadows the isolation and sustains tension. Images threaten: broken hinges, snagged dresses, handprints around or a daisy pinned to a neck. Declarative statements muffle emotion. The town’s story is not of a man gone mad, but of a girl gone dead. “How I wanted to be her,” wishes the speaker. These are not still lives, but stalled lives, caught like the goldfish that “circled / their plastic bag.” The cover art haunts like the apparition of the dead man in a young woman’s “bed, / in damp spaces between / my back and the hardwood floor.” A contemporary crucifix, the crossed beams of an electric pole, stands sentinel near amputated train tracks. The eye, at first, travels the ghost limbs, uncon­ sciously completing the missing rails. The broken tracks suggest content, the emptiness of aborted journeys or sacrificed lives, and form, the many line breaks that simply dazzle, bright as the lone light with which Hopper disturbs the darkness. When girls on the brink of puberty test their sexuality, the line break prostitutes them. They “walked the tracks / in terry cloth halters.” Enjambed, the stanza will turn on the image of the horizon. Hope swells in the lacuna only to be “shattered” by the windows of a high rise. In “Drift,” the title bleeds into the opening couplet: “What you did that day / beneath the tracks.” The ominous turns bucolic, “and zig zag of crabgrass,” and, just as quickly, veers into another direction, the “coneflowers bending,” like tracks disappearing around B o o k r e v ie w s 8 3 a comer or lives yielding to pressure. These poems zig and zag, leading in one direction only to tug in another. “I shake it,” is how this collection opens. And that’s exactly what we expect a good poem to do. And these are very good poems. They shake it. They unsettle. The Cowboy Qirl: The Life of Caroline Lockhart. By John Clayton. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2007. 352 pages, $21.95. Reviewed by Victoria Lamont University of Waterloo, Ontario John Clayton’s The Cowboy Girl is as meticulously researched as it is a bona fide page-tumer. A biography of popular western author, newspaper editor, and rancher Caroline Lockhart (1871-1962), The Cowboy Girl is also a fascinating window into the complexities of western mythology and reality in the early twentieth century United States. In many ways, Lockhart’s western experience was not unlike that of her more well-known contemporaries, yet hers is a most unconventional life. Like Owen Wister, Frederic Remington, Theodore Roosevelt, and other privileged Easterners, Lockhart...

Castration of piglets under CO2-gas anaesthesia

It has become common practice in pig fattening production systems to castrate young boar piglets without the use of anaesthesia. In this study, we examined whether or not CO2 gas is capable of inducing an acceptable anaesthetic state during which castration can be performed. The first step was to identify the most promising CO2/O2 mixture. Based on the results from this first experiment, a mixture of 70% CO2 + 30% O2 was chosen for further investigation as a potential anaesthetic during the castration of young piglets. Thereby, it was established whether the duration and depth of anaesthesia were acceptable for castration where the animal has to be insensible and unconscious. Physiological effects were assessed based on electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements, blood gas values and behavioural responses. During the induction phase, the only typical behaviour the piglets exhibited when exposed to the 70/30 gas mixture was heavy breathing. All piglets (n = 25) lost consciousness after approximately 30 s according to the EEG. Heart rate decreased slowly during the induction phase, a serious drop occurred when piglets lost their posture. Immediately after this drop, the heart rate neared zero or showed a very irregular pattern. Shortly after loss of posture, most animals showed a few convulsions. None of the animals showed any reaction to castration in behaviour and/or on the EEG and ECG. On average, the piglets recovered within 59 s, i.e. EEG returned to its pre-induction pattern and piglets were able to regain a standing position. After 120 s, heart rate returned to pre-induction levels. In order to explore the usage range of CO2 concentration, 24 piglets were exposed to 60% CO2 + 20% O2 + 20% N2 for up to 30 s after loss of consciousness (as registered on EEG), and castrated after removal from the chamber. Sixteen of the 24 animals showed a reaction to the castration on the EEG. To establish the maximum time piglets survive in 70% CO2 + 30% O2, five piglets were placed in this mixture for 3 min. Two of them died. After that, four piglets were placed in this mixture for 2 min after unconsciousness, one died after 2 min. It was concluded from this study that it is possible to anaesthetise piglets with a mixture of 70% CO2 + 30% O2, but that there are limits to its safety in terms of CO2 concentration and duration of exposure. Before implementation for practical use, further research is essential to assess the limits of gas concentration and exposure times.

Olanzapine-Induced Tardive Dystonia Successfully Treated by Tetrabenazine

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article LETTERFull AccessOlanzapine-Induced Tardive Dystonia Successfully Treated by TetrabenazineBoris Rauchverger M.D.,Victoria Isakov M.D.,Mahmoud Jabarin M.D.,Boris Rauchverger M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Victoria Isakov M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Mahmoud Jabarin M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Published Online:1 Oct 2007AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail SIR: Tardive dystonia (TD) is one of the tardive syndromes, along with tardive dyskinesia, and tardive akathisia. It is an adverse effect [BR2] usually associated with conventional antipsychotics, though it has also been observed in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, particularly olanzapine. 1 , 2 Tardive dyskinesia is uncommon, severe, and debilitating, 3 rarely remits completely and has no proven remedy. 4 Dopamine-depleting agents, such as tetrabenazine, have shown a beneficial effect on TD, 5 but efficacy has yet to be proven. We present an unusual case of TD that emerged after 5 years of olanzapine monotherapy, and did not remit 1 month after olanzapine discontinuation, but successfully resolved following initiation of tetrabenazine therapy. Mr. M, 47-years-old, diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia, had an unremarkable medical past, and no family history of movement disorders. Since the year 2000, M. was treated with olanzapine (5 mg/day) monotherapy, with no adverse effects. His condition was described as partial remission with stable deficit. During February 2006 he began complaining about periodic involuntary continuous painful muscle spasms in the neck, which lasted a few minutes. Within 3 months symptoms increased in length, severity and frequency. Moreover, the chest and upper abdomen were also involved in involuntary contractions causing heavy breathing and eating difficulties and repeated vomiting. Each respiration was accompanied by unilateral neck spasms, cramps, leading to regurgitation and difficulty in breathing. He tried to support himself to prevent muscle contractions, but without success. M. became afraid and distressed. He was referred to a general hospital and underwent comprehensive medical and neurological examinations. Somatic pathology was excluded. His laboratory tests (blood oxygenation, CBC, thyroid hormones, electrolytes, magnesium, calcium, copper, liver enzymes) and brain CT scan were normal and he was eventually diagnosed with drug-induced tardive dystonia. Olanzapine was stopped in June 2006 but the tardive dystonia continued. Adjunctive clonazepam (2 mg/day) was not beneficial. One month later, tetrabenazine (25 mg/day) was initiated, and gradually uptitrated to 75 mg/day. During the second week of treatment his condition improved and within 4 weeks almost all involuntary movements remitted. Quetiapine 100 mg/day was started in August 2006 with adjunct tetrabenazine, and he remains free of involuntary movements. Tardive dystonia is a late-onset side effect of antipsychotic treatment, with persistent dystonic movements of focal onset involving mainly the craniocervical region. In our case, the dystonia appeared after 5 years of olanzapine treatment, was multifocal including the neck, chest and upper abdomen, accompanied by labored breathing and eating disturbances. Its unusual presentation made diagnosis difficult. Commonly proposed treatment interventions such, as neuroleptic discontinuation and benzodiazepines were ineffective. Paleacu et al. 5 reported moderate effect of tetrabenazine on movement disorders. We observed a pronounced and quick effect of tetrabenazine on distressing, and severely debilitating TD. Further study is warranted to confirm the efficacy of tetrabenazine in intractable cases of TD. Sha’ar Menashe Mental Health Center, Hadera, IsraelSha’ar Menashe Mental Health Center, Hadera, IsraelSha’ar Menashe Mental Health Center, Hadera, IsraelReferences1 . Gunal DI, Onultan O, Afsar N, et al: Tardive dystonia associated with olanzapine therapy. Neurol Sci 2001; 22:331–332Google Scholar2 . Charfi F, Cohen D, Houeto JL, et al: Tardive dystonia induced by atypical neuroleptics: a case report with olanzapine. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2004; 14:149–152Google Scholar3 . Wojcik JD, Falk WE, Fink JS, et al: A review of 32 cases of tardive dystonia. Am J Psychiatry 1991; 148:1055–1059Google Scholar4 . Papapetropoulos S, Wheeler S, Singer C: Tardive dystonia associated with ziprasidone. Am J Psychiatry 2005; 162:2191Google Scholar5 . Paleacu D, Giladi N, Moore O, et al: Tetrabenazine treatment in movement disorders. Clin Neuropharmacol 2004; 27:230–233Google Scholar FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byValbenazine as the first and only approved treatment for adults with tardive dyskinesia23 January 2018 | Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, Vol. 11, No. 3Calcium channel blockers for antipsychotic-induced tardive dyskinesia26 March 2018 | Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Vol. 2018, No. 3Neurochemical Research, Vol. 41, No. 9Paediatrics & Child Health, Vol. 17, No. suppl_BTetrabenazine for the Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia20 April 2011 | Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Vol. 45, No. 4Cochrane Database of Systematic ReviewsPaediatrics & Child Health, Vol. 16, No. 9Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bülteni-Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Vol. 20, No. 3Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, Vol. 10, No. 17Transient Tardive Dystonia: Overview and Case PresentationJournal of Psychiatric Practice, Vol. 14, No. 4Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, Vol. 17, No. 6 Volume 19Issue 4 Fall, 2007Pages 484-485 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 October 2007 Published in print 1 October 2007

Olanzapine-Induced Tardive Dystonia Successfully Treated by Tetrabenazine

Olanzapine-Induced Tardive Dystonia Successfully Treated by Tetrabenazine

Bilateral Thyroarytenoid Cartilage Lateralization and Vocal Fold Excision with Mucosoplasty for Treatment of Idiopathic Laryngeal Paralysis: 67 Dogs (1998–2005)

To evaluate combined bilateral thyroarytenoid cartilage lateralization, vocal fold excision, and mucosoplasty technique (BTAL) through ventral median laryngotomy for treatment of laryngeal paralysis in dogs. Design- Retrospective study. Animals- Dogs (n=67) with laryngeal paralysis. Medical records were reviewed for dogs with idiopathic laryngeal paralysis that had BTAL between January 1998 and March 2005. Retrieved data included signalment, history, physical and laryngoscopic examination findings, clinicopathologic tests, and results of recheck examination findings. BTAL was performed by a single surgeon. Short-term (<6 months) follow-up information was available for 67 dogs and long-term (>12 months) for 40 dogs. Major postoperative complications were surgical failures (13; 7 short term, 6 long term) and aspiration pneumonia (1). Mean recurrence of clinical signs was at 19 weeks (range, 2-30 weeks). Minor complications occurred in 22 (33%) dogs including occasional coughing or gagging, stridorous breathing during exercise, panting, noisy or heavy breathing, and aspiration pneumonia (3 dogs) that did not require hospitalization. All owners reported an improved quality of life and had no regrets with surgical outcome. BTAL is seemingly an effective procedure for treatment of laryngeal paralysis. Clinical Relevance- BTAL is associated with a low incidence of aspiration pneumonia; however, there is substantial risk of recurrence of clinical signs associated with narrowing of the glottis. Consequently, unilateral arytenoid lateralization currently represents the accepted approach to the treatment of laryngeal paralysis.

Heavy breathing

Heavy breathing

Persistent truncus arteriosus in a cat

A 5-month-old male domestic cat presented with a history of rapid, heavy breathing and cyanosis after exercise. Physical examination showed an abnormal respiratory pattern with an increased rate and stress-induced cyanosis. Auscultation revealed tachycardia and a grade 5/6 systolic murmur best heard over the left base. Radiographs showed evidence of right atrial and ventricular enlargement with distended pulmonary vessels and an enlarged ascending aorta. An echocardiographic examination revealed a dilated right atrium, eccentric right ventricular hypertrophy and an overriding aorta associated with a large ventricular septal defect (VSD). The pulmonary trunk could not be identified by echocardiography. Doppler and saline contrast studies showed large right-to-left shunting through the VSD. These findings were compatible with persistent truncus arteriosus, which was confirmed at necropsy.

Heavy breathing in the blood bank: is it transfusion‐related acute lung injury, our anxiety, or both?

Heavy breathing in the blood bank: is it transfusion‐related acute lung injury, our anxiety, or both?

Mucocoele of the maxillary sinus

Mucocoele is histopathologically benign, cystic change of paranasal sinuses filled with mucoid contents, which with its growth is pressuring and destroying local bone walls. In only 3% of the cases it can be localized in maxillary sinuses. Etiology is unknown. Pyocoele develops by secondary infection. The male patient was 21 years old. His symptoms were runny nose with thick contents and heavy breathing on the right side of the nose, headaches, as well as the swelling of the right cheek. During clinical examination, the expansive change was found. It was completely closing the right side of the nose cavity. Computerized tomography (CT) of paranasal cavities showed excessive expansion of the right maxillary sinus, with very thinned walls, while the cavity was filled with liquid. After antibiotics therapy, the radical operation of the right maxillary sinus was performed, based on Caldwell Luc method. The frontal wall was found to be extremely convex and thinned, while the medial wall was with dehiscention. The cystic change was extirpated. Mucocoele was proved by pathohistologic findings. Its wall was about 2 mm thick and it showed squamous metaplasia in the large part of the mucocoela epithel. In the submucosa fibrosis and inflammatory infiltrate was present. Postoperative follow-up was under control. Clinicaly and radiographycaly, six months after therapy, the patient does not have troubles. The rare localization of the mucocoeles in maxillary sinus can be explained with the width of the maxillary ostia. Infected mucocoeles, expanded to the local anatomical structures, should be operated on with classic radical surgical operation.

The Relation Between Gastroesophageal Reflux and Respiratory Symptoms in a Population-Based Study: The Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey

In spite of numerous investigations, the relation between respiratory symptoms and reflux symptoms in the general population remains unclear, since population-based studies are few.To investigate the relation between respiratory symptoms and reflux symptoms in the population.In a cohort of 65,363 individuals representing 71.2% of the adult population in the Norwegian county of Nord-Trøndelag, 58,596 individuals (89.6%) responded to questions concerning reflux symptoms. The 3,153 persons (5.4%) with severe and recurrent reflux symptoms constituted the case group, and the 40,210 persons (68.6%) without reflux symptoms served as the control group. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) represented relative risks. Potential confounding was tested in multivariable logistic regression analysis.Persons with asthma had reflux to a 60% greater extent than those without asthma after including adjustment for asthma medication (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.4 to 1.9). There was a statistically significant dose-response association between breathlessness and reflux symptoms (p for trend < 0.0001), and the OR of severe breathlessness was 12.0 (95% CI, 9.5 to 15.2). Persons with heavy and wheezy breathing, daily cough, daily productive cough, or chronic cough showed a twofold to threefold statistically significant increase in risk of reflux symptoms. Adjustment for asthma or use of asthma medication did not substantially influence the risk estimates for any of the studied respiratory disorders.Reflux symptoms commonly coexist with asthma and other respiratory symptoms on a population-based level, seemingly irrespective of asthma medication.