Cover Article
New Nasal Flu Vaccine Safe for Young Children
This year, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is recommending that all children ages 6 to 23 months receive the influenza vaccination—an addition to prior recommendations for high-risk children older than 6 months. A new nasal administration of the vaccine may help to raise traditionally low compliance levels.

Selected Articles

• Are Donor Lung Criteria Too Restrictive?
• Nursing Home-Acquired Pneumonia: New Management Guidelines
• Behavioral Symptoms Linked to Steroid Dose
• Inhaled Iloprost—The Benefits of Aerosolization
• Long-term Azithromycin Helps Children With CF
• Hospital-wide Program Speeds Mechnical Ventilation Weaning, Saves Money
• How Do You Diagnose Brain Death?
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Reduces Impairment in Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Pets: Good or Bad for Allergies and Asthma?
The controversy continues over whether early exposure to household pets helps protect against the development of allergies and asthma. Three new studies look at how the presence of animals might effect sensitization and tolerance by age 6 or 7.

Selected Articles

• ACE Polymorphism Linked to ARDS Risk
• Are Childhood Asthma Rates Plateauing?
• Clearing the Air on In-flight Cold Transmission
• Joint Committee Makes Recommendations on Treating Ischemic Stroke
• Septic Shock + Adrenal Insufficiency = A Role for Steroids?
• Psychological and Environmental Impact of September 11 on Worsening Asthma
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Preventing Asthma-Related ED Readmission
A lifelong condition, asthma is often marked by severe flare-ups that can require hospital trips, especially for children. However, two new studies found that when inhaled corticosteroids were prescribed after an emergency department visit for acute asthma, the risk of subsequent visits decreased significantly.

Selected Articles

• Health Department Efforts to Control COPD Falling Short
• Combined Therapy Eases Cold Symptoms
• Guidelines Address Catheter-Related Infections
• ELISA D-Diner: How Accurate for PE Diagnosis?
• RSV Bronchiolitis Tops Infant Admissions
• Non-CFTR-Related Cystic Fibrosis?
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
The Dutch Hypothesis: Back to the Future?
More than 40 years ago, the Dutch Hypothesis suggested that asthma and COPD should be viewed as points on a common disease continuum. An expert panel at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society examined the hypothesis, including clinical characteristics of the diseases, similar physiological changes, and the process of inflammation.

Selected Articles

• The Apnea-Hypopnea Index: Useful or Useless?
• Oral Health Affects Pneumonia Risk in the Elderly
• Microarrays Identify Genes Related to Risk in NSCLC
• Danger on Tap in Hospitals
• Managing Drug Resistance: Duration vs Cycling of Antibiotics
• Inhaled Steroids for COPD: The Debate Continues
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Exploring the Connection Between Asthma and Anxiety
The mechanics of the relationship between mind and body in asthma is complex and a source of debate. Is anxiety a marker for more severe attacks? Or do the attacks cause patients to become anxious? Two recent studies offer insight on the link between anxiety and hospitalization and on the psychological effects of an attack.

Selected Articles

• Is Dyspnea Better Than FEV1 for Evaluating COPD?
• Experimental Anthrax Vaccine Given Nasally
• Cyclophosphamide Plus High-Dose Steroids for SSc Lung Disease
• In the ICU, No Memories Are Good Memories
• Lidocaine or Amiodarone: Which Is Better for “Shock-Resistant” VF?
• Risk Factors for Near-Fatal Asthma Identified
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Particulate Pollution’s Toll: Higher Than We Knew
Although the link between acute exposure to fine particulates and cardiopulmonary mortality has been established, the health risks of chronic exposure to particulate pollution have been less well defined. A powerful new study combines extensive information on personal predisposing variables with the results of expanded environmental monitoring.

Selected Articles

• Sleep-Disordered Breathing, Insulin Resistance Linked
• Bacterial Biofilms: Culprits in Chronic Otitis Media?
• Conference News Update: The 98th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society
• Trials Question Conventional Approaches to Treating Acute Heart Failure
• Embolectomy: A Viable Option for Acute PE
• High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema More Common Than Thought
• Therapeutic Bulletin: Update on Sedation, Analgesia, and Paralysis in Critical Care
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Latex-Allergic Patients May React to Fruits, Too
There are many questions surrounding the apparent connection between latex and fruit allergies. An expert panel addresses some of these issues, such as: Which allergy comes first? Should patients avoid all cross-reacting foods? Is immunotherapy effective for latex allergy?

Selected Articles

• Air Pollution Linked to Asthma Development
• CPAP Lowers BP in Sleep Apnea Patients
• Conventional Hemodialysis Comes Under Fire
• Of Mice and Myiasis
• Anaphylaxis: Still a Medical Mystery
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Ozone, Sports Raise Children's Asthma Risk
It is well known that air pollution triggers already existing asthma. Now, however, one study points to an association between high-ozone areas and newly diagnosed asthma in children playing high-activity sports.

Selected Articles

• Low Symptom Perception Heightens Asthma Risk
• Nighttime Reflux May Lead to Asthma
• Brain Resuscitation's Cold Future
• Lung Recruitment in Respiratory Failure: New Insight
• Drug Levels in Lungs
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Has Chemotherapy Reached Its limit for Lung Cancer?
Chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer has taken a few more steps forward, two recent studies show. However, their results also suggest that we may have reached the limit of what chemotherapy can do for patients with this deadly disease.

Selected Articles

• Nebulized Lidocaine: An Option for Severe Asthma?
• New Data Alter View of Sarcoidosis
• ICU Management of the Morbidly Obese
• S Aureus Vaccine Protects Hemodialysis Patients
• CNU: 41st Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Smoking During Pregnancy: Even Worse Than You Think
New data bolsters already staggering evidence linking in utero exposure to cigarette smoke with long-term health impairments. In addition to its established dangers to the fetus, maternal smoking during pregnancy has now been shown to increase the risks for diabetes and obesity, criminal behavior, and substance abuse in adults.

Selected Articles

• Innate Peptides Fight Infection
• Are Patients Being Adequatley Protected From VTE?
• Sleep Apnea in Stroke Patients Predicts Poor Outcome
• Airway Vessels: New Target for Asthma Therapies?
• “My Way”: Not the Optimal Weaning Strategy
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Interrupting Chest Compressions During CPR May Be Harmful
The effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation may actually suffer when a single rescuer interrupts chest compressions to provide rescue breathing. A new study provides at least part of the reason why: Such interruption decreases coronary perfusion pressure and left ventricular blood flow.

Selected Articles

• Managing Heart Failure in Patients With Pulmonary Disease
• Pleconaril Attenuates Cold Symptoms
• Which Diagnostic Tests for PE?
• Microalbuminuria Predicts Critical Illness
• Food Workers Contract Bronchiolitis Obliterans
• Literature Monitor

Cover Article
Ground Zero: Assessing the Respiratory Impact
On September 11, 2001, more than 11,500 firefighters were exposed to the collapse of the World Trade Center and the massive blaze at "Ground Zero." However, some small measure of good may come out of that dreadful day: In treating the 20% to 30% of workers who have developed cough and other respiratory symptoms, health care providers are gaining an improved understanding of how intense exposures to airborne pollutants affects respiratory function in healthy individuals.

Selected Articles

• Older Drugs Effective for Sinusitis
• Early Therapy Improves Sepsis Outcome
• Intensive Insulin Reduces ICU Morbidity and Mortality
• Influenza: Past Clues Guide Future Defense
• Is Fibroblastic Proliferation the Culprit in IPF?
• Literature Monitor