Anti-interleukin (IL)-5 as a steroid-sparing agent in chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.

Introduction: Anti-interleukin (IL)-5 therapy is a novel drug class clinically effective in patients with diverse eosinophil-related disorders such as allergic eosinophilic asthma, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), nasal polyposis, eosinophilic COPD, and other non-pulmonary disorders such as eosinophilic esophagitis. Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) is a steroid responsive disorder, however, relapses are common following corticosteroid tapering. Case Study: We present the case of a 42-year-old woman with steroid-dependent relapsing CEP successfully treated with anti-IL-5 antibody. Results: Treatment with anti-IL-5 antibody resulted in remission with the ability to taper off the steroids, and no recurrence of the disease for 6 months. Conclusion: Our case report supports the potential use of anti-IL-5 therapy for remission of patients with CEP with recurrent relapses. Whether, it would also be an effective initial therapy might also be an area that deserves future investigation.

Southeast Asian refugee children: a school-based mental health intervention.

One particular focus of refugee studies in the United States has been the violence experience of Southeast Asian (S.E.A.) refugee children and its impact on mental health and school adaptation. Although virtually all researchers have found that the children have high rates of depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder, findings concerning successful school adaptation have been inconclusive. Even so, concern has been generated on how to best meet the children's mental health needs. The purpose of our study was to provide an eight-week school-based program that was designed to reduce depression symptoms of S.E.A. refugee children. Specifically, this collaborative program addressed refugee adaptation issues, children's culture and the development of coping skills. All of the children were screened for depression using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Analysis of CDI data revealed that children's depression scores had a significant decrease between screening times 1 (approximately one month before the intervention) and 2 (fourth week of the intervention), 1 and 3 (eighth week of the intervention) and 1 and 4 (one month following the intervention). Globally, culturally sensitive mental health school-based programs may be an appropriate intervention to assist immigrant and refugee children in making a successful adaptation to host countries.

Relationship of perception of radon as a health risk and willingness to engage in radon testing and mitigation.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To gather data on radon levels and determine correlations among subjects' characteristics, willingness to test for radon, and perceptions of radon as a health risk. DESIGN: Descriptive correlational. SETTING: Rural DeKalb County in northern Illinois. SAMPLE: 473 respondents from a group of 1,620 randomly selected county residences. METHODS: Participants were surveyed via telephone using the Community Radon Program questionnaire. Radon measurements were taken with home radon test kits. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Gender, income, age, educational level, smoking status, race, home ownership, willingness to test for radon, and radon risk perception. FINDINGS: Most participants were familiar with radon but did not view it as an immediate health hazard and would not have screened for radon on their own. 88% of the radon measurements exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's moderate risk potential level, and 53% exceeded the action level (i.e., 4 pCi/L). CONCLUSIONS: Perception of radon as a health risk was correlated positively with planning to conduct further radon testing and to employ radon mitigation methods. More research is needed on people's willingness to obtain radon emission levels and the cancer rates in areas that have high potential for radon. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: According to the environmental literature, the effect of household radon emissions on the development of lung cancer is as great a health risk as secondhand smoke. Virtually no nursing literature on the subject has been published. As the primary source of health information in many rural counties, nurses, especially public health nurses, are at the forefront in public health educational efforts. Nurses are the most likely healthcare professionals to enter patients' homes and can play a significant role in disseminating information about radon as a potential carcinogen.