Gastroscopy in a West African rural mission hospital.

The results of 1075 fibreoptic gastroscopies performed in the Northwest Province of Cameroon are presented. Three hundred and fifty-three examinations showed pyloroduodenal ulcer disease, 111 showed macroscopic gastritis, and 37 had gastric carcinoma. Sixteen other diagnosis were made, with a positive finding in 620 cases. The benefits of the 'high-technology' gastroscope in a low technology setting are discussed. Included are examinations of a series of 46 patients with haematemesis and/or melaena, and 43 who had previous gastric surgery.

The 1994 eruption of the Rabaul volcano, Papua New Guinea: injuries sustained and medical response.

On 19 September 1994, with little warning, two volcanoes erupted at the Rabaul caldera, affecting the heavily populated Gazelle Peninsula, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. Local health services were able to deal with the disaster without additional external resources. The preparedness of the population and their knowledge of safe areas gained from a disaster plan widely publicized a decade earlier contributed to the low number of casualties.

Plasma amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in subjects presenting to the Emergency Department with suspected acute coronary syndrome: possible role in selecting patients for follow up?

BACKGROUND: Plasma amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level is a sensitive and specific indicator of cardiac dysfunction. AIM: To determine whether plasma NT-proBNP level is elevated at the time of presentation with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and whether it may assist in the diagnosis of heart failure and myocardial ischaemia in the Emergency Department. METHODS: Plasma NT-proBNP levels were measured prospectively in 201 unselected presentations to the Emergency Department with suspected ACS where cardiac injury markers were requested by clinicians as part of routine assessment. NT-proBNP levels were correlated with clinical, electrocardiogram (ECG), biochemical and radiological findings. RESULTS: Elevated NT-proBNP level detected heart failure with high sensitivity (95-96%). Among patients without heart failure, NT-proBNP levels were increased more frequently in patients with previously diagnosed ischaemic heart disease. Elevated NT-proBNP level predicted cardiomegaly and a cardiac cause of presentation. However, the NT-proBNP level was not associated with ECG or biochemical markers of myocardial ischaemia, and only one-third of patients with ACS showed an increase of 40% or more in NT-proBNP level at repeat measurement of cardiac injury markers 5 h after presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Although elevated NT-proBNP level detected heart failure with high sensitivity, NT-proBNP level did not assist in the diagnosis of acute myocardial ischaemia. These findings indicate that the major determinant of elevated NT-proBNP level on presentation with suspected ACS was underlying cardiac dysfunction rather than acute myocardial ischaemia. This suggests that NT-proBNP measurement in patients with a suspected cardiac reason for presentation to the Emergency Department may identify a previously unrecognized group of patients without acute ischaemia who may nevertheless benefit from further investigation of cardiac function.

Concentrations of major grass group 5 allergens in pollen grains and atmospheric particles: implications for hay fever and allergic asthma sufferers sensitized to grass pollen allergens.

BACKGROUND: Grass pollen allergens are the most important cause of hay fever and allergic asthma during summer in cool temperate climates. Pollen counts provide a guide to hay fever sufferers. However, grass pollen, because of its size, has a low probability of entering the lower airways to trigger asthma. Yet, grass pollen allergens are known to be associated with atmospheric respirable particles. OBJECTIVE: We aimed (1) to determine the concentration of group 5 major allergens in (a) pollen grains of clinically important grass species and (b) atmospheric particles (respirable and nonrespirable) and (2) to compare the atmospheric allergen load with clinical data to assess different risk factors for asthma and hay fever. METHODS: We have performed a continuous 24 h sampling of atmospheric particles greater and lower than 7.2 microm in diameter during the grass pollen season of 1996 and 1997 (17 October 1996-16 January 1997) by means of a high volume cascade impactor at a height of about 15 m above ground in Melbourne. Using Western analysis, we assessed the reactivity of major timothy grass allergen Phl p 5 specific monoclonal antibody (MoAb) against selected pollen extracts. A MoAb-based ELISA was then employed to quantify Phl p 5 and cross-reactive allergens in pollen extracts and atmospheric particles larger and smaller than 7.2 microm. RESULTS: Phl p 5-specific MoAb detected group 5 allergens in tested grass pollen extracts, indicating that the ELISA employed here determines total group 5 allergen concentrations. On average, 0.05 ng of group 5 allergens were detectable per grass pollen grain. Atmospheric group 5 allergen concentrations in particles > 7.2 microm were significantly correlated with grass pollen counts (rs = 0.842, P < 0. 001). On dry days, 37% of the total group 5 allergen load, whereas upon rainfall, 57% of the total load was detected in respirable particles. After rainfall, the number of starch granule equivalents increased up to 10-fold; starch granule equivalent is defined as a hypothetical potential number of airborne starch granules based on known pollen count data. This indicates that rainfall tended to wash out large particles and contributed to an increase in respirable particles containing group 5 allergens by bursting of pollen grains. Four day running means of group 5 allergens in respirable particles and of asthma attendances (delayed by 2 days) were shown to be significantly correlated (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Here we present, for the first time, an estimation of the total group 5 allergen content in respirable and nonrespirable particles in the atmosphere of Melbourne. These results highlight the different environmental risk factors for hay fever and allergic asthma in patients, as on days of rainfall following high grass pollen count, the risk for asthma sufferers is far greater than on days of high pollen count with no associated rainfall. Moreover, rainfall may also contribute to the release of allergens from fungal spores and, along with the release of free allergen molecules from pollen grains, may be able to interact with other particles such as pollutants (i.e. diesel exhaust carbon particles) to trigger allergic asthma.