Rhonchi

Avian Flu May Be the Next Pandemic (site also has video of this talk)

A deadly influenza outbreak may be on the horizon. Since 1997, a strain of avian flu known as H5N1 has spread rapidly among birds in East Asia, reaching as far north as Siberia. If this strain, which has killed 55 percent of its known human victims, mutates into a virus easily transmitted by people, the resulting pandemic could kill millions and would have staggering global social and economic impacts. “It is not if it is going to happen. It is when, and where, and how bad,” said Dr. Michael Osterholm at the first meeting sponsored by the Wilson Center’s new Global Health Initiative on September 19. “Welcome to my nightmare,” warned Helen Branswell, a Canadian medical reporter speaking at the conference. Read the complete event summary.

And on a lighter note: Avian Flu information for Kids!

Fun! Well, maybe not.

rhonchus (singular) or rhonchi (plural):

“A coarse rattling sound somewhat like snoring, usually caused by secretion in a bronchial tube.

[Latin, a snoring, from Greek *rhonkhos, variant of rhenkos, rhenkhos, from rhenkein, to snore.]”

Vitamin D Linked To Improved Pulmonary Function

Vitamin D Linked To Improved Pulmonary Function
Posted on: 01/06/2006AUCKLAND, New Zealand–Higher blood levels of vitamin D are associated with improved lung function, according to a study published in Chest

I am creating a list of RCP / RRT / CRTT bloggers. There’s nobody on the list at the moment except for me, and I barely count since I’ve not practiced in a decade. But I’m looking forward to hearing from other RT bloggers!

Pulmonary symptoms and function decline slightly after combined chemotherapy and chest radiotherapy for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and remain stable for five to 15 years, according to a report in the November issue of Chest.

“Patients with limited stage SCLC have potentially curable disease with only a small decrement in their lung function that remains stable over a long period of time,” Dr. Janet N. Myers from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland told Reuters Health. “Physicians should not have a great deal of angst about treating these patients for fear of long term complications.”

Vail Daily News for Vail and Beaver Creek Colorado – News

In Denver, a respiratory therapist suggested a blood test. A positive result would explain everything. And what if it is? Canada wanted to know. What is the cure?”There is no cure,” replied the therapist. “Only a lung transplant.”

Dean Canada is among an estimated 100,000 Americans who were dealt a pair of bad cards, two corrupted genes that produce a condition called Alpha One Antitrypsen Deficiency.

This disorder causes the livers of its victims to work improperly. The liver prevents the release of a protein needed for healthy functioning of the lungs. Most victims begin suffering when they are 39 or 40.

More at http://www.alphaone.org/

Inside Bay Area – San Mateo County Times – Local News
It’s called a hyperbaric chamber and it outputs oxygen at much higher pressure than what we normally breath. Eden is the only Sutter health care facility with such a chamber, and according to staff at Eden, it has improved the health of many.

High concentrations of oxygen help keep oxygen-starved tissues alive. It is used to treat more than a dozen illnesses including carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, severe anemia, sports injuries and stubborn wounds. Advocates of alternative healing believe the chamber is also useful for brain healing in dementia, cerebral palsy, stroke and Lyme Disease patients.