Antiseptics, antibiotics and chemotherapy
Michael J. O’Dowd in The History of Medications for Women, 2020
The introduction of antiseptics, chemotherapy, antibiotics and antiviral agents led to an unbelievable reduction in mortality and morbidity. During the First World War Alexander Fleming served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and worked with Almroth Wright and his team at a laboratory at Boulogne, where Fleming conducted experiments on antiseptics in the treatment of war wounds. Penicillin was the first of the modern antibiotics to be discovered and derived its name from the molds of the genus Penicillium. Newman Dorland described the Penicillium as a genus of the molds which develop fruiting organs resembling a broom, or the bones of the hand and fingers. Although chemotherapy is currendy associated with cancer treatment, the term also related to combined therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis and the use of agents to limit or destroy the multiplication of many disease causing the bacteria.
A Basic Primer on HIV Infections and AIDS Cases (HIV/AIDS)
James Chin, Jeffrey Koplan in The AIDS Pandemic, 2018
This chapter responds many of the myths, misconceptions and misunderstanding of HIV/AIDS. It provides some basic information on infectious disease agents and the diseases they cause, along with some basic concepts of infectious disease epidemiology. The chapter suggests that there has been a general problem in assuming that everyone involved with or interested in AIDS and AIDS programs has a basic knowledge of infectious disease agents and infectious disease epidemiology. The development of laboratory tests to identify HIV infections enabled clinicians to study the natural history of HIV-infected persons. The major point the table demonstrates is that an infectious disease agent such as HIV which requires sex or blood contact for transmission from person to person cannot become a "generalized" epidemic agent. Primary immune deficiency is caused by genetic defects in the immune system. The major interaction identified is with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtbc), the etiologic agent or cause of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).
The Morbid Anatomy And Symptoms Of Phthisis
Arthur Newsholme in The Prevention of Tuberculosis, 2015
This chapter deals with tuberculosis from the point of view of preventive medicine and public health. It considers the sanatorium treatment of consumptives, this will be chiefly considered as a means of preventing others from becoming consumptive. Pulmonary tuberculosis is caused by the invasion of the lungs by the tubercle bacillus. The tubercle bacilli have entered the body and the leucocytes have failed to kill them. The earliest and most characteristic lesion produced is the grey tubercle. Leucocytes are killed by the bacterial toxins, and their dead bodies accumulate as pus. Sometimes profuse haemoptysis is the earliest symptom recognised, and it is often the first symptom which induces a patient to consult a doctor. From the description of the lesions found in fatal cases of phthisis the symptoms of the fully established disease may be gathered. The great majority of cases belong to the chronic variety.
Sputum adenosine deaminase and alkaline phosphatase activity in pulmonary tuberculosis
Published in Archives Of Physiology And Biochemistry, 2012
Ashish Anantrao Jadhav, Anuradha Jain
Objective: The aim was to determine adenosine deaminase (ADA) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in sputum for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: This study comprised of 64 subjects (33 pulmonary tuberculosis and 31 lung cancer). The ADA and ALP activity was measured in sputum and serum. Results: The mean ADA activity in sputum, serum and mean sputum/serum ADA ratio was 205.20 IU/L, 42.32 IU/L and 4.90 in pulmonary tuberculosis and 127.74 IU/L, 29.90 IU/L and 4.27 in lung cancer subjects respectively. The mean ALP activity in sputum, serum and mean sputum/serum ALP ratio was 461.34 IU/L, 159.24 IU/L and 2.90 in pulmonary tuberculosis and 226.64 IU/L, 119.87 IU/L and 1.99 in lung cancer subjects respectively. Conclusion: The mean ADA and ALP activity was significantly increased in pulmonary tuberculosis as compared to lung cancer subjects and hence may be a useful tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.
The role of bronchoscopy in the diagnosis and management of pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis
Published in Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine, 2014
Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is the commonest clinical form of childhood TB occurring in approximately 80% of cases. Traditionally, bronchoscopy in pediatric TB suspects was used to collect specimens for mycobacterial culture using especially bronchoalveolar lavage. New data have described the role of bronchoscopy as a more comprehensive instrument for the diagnosis and management of pulmonary TB in children. Flexible bronchoscopy is an important intervention to evaluated airways disease, collect samples for culture, relieve critical threatening airway obstruction and aid in the management of complicated pulmonary TB disease in children. Airway involvement in children suspected of pulmonary TB has been described in 41–63% of cases. The commonest airways involved are bronchus intermedius, left main bronchus and the trachea. Bronchoscopy is safe in children with severe airway obstruction. As bronchoscope images improve, the working channel size increases new applications for bronchoscopy will be developed making them more applicable in small children.
Low Number of Peripheral Blood B Lymphocytes in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Published in Immunological Investigations, 2010
Jesús Hernandez, Carlos Velazquez, Olivia Valenzuela, Ramón Robles-Zepeda, Eduardo Ruiz-Bustos, Moisés Navarro, Adriana Garibay-Escobar
The cellular immune response plays a critical role in the containment of persistent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection; however, the immunological mechanisms that lead to its control are not completely identified. The goal of this study was to evaluate B (CD19+) and T (CD3+) peripheral blood lymphocyte profiles and T-cell subsets (CD4+ and CD8+) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Percentages (p = 0.02) and absolute numbers (p = 0.005) of B cells were significantly lower in patients with pulmonary TB than in healthy donors. In contrast, percentages (p = 0.12) and absolute numbers (p = 0.14) of T cells were similar in TB patients and healthy donors. No significant differences in percentages of CD4+ (p = 0.19) or CD8+ (p = 0.85) T cells between patients and healthy donors were observed. In summary, patients with pulmonary tuberculosis had a lower number of peripheral blood B lymphocytes than healthy controls.