Eosinophilic Airway Inflammation in Patients with Stable Biomass Smoke- versus Tobacco Smoke-Associated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disease with predominant involvement of neutrophils, macrophages and CD8+ lymphocytes. Eosinophilic airway inflammations are reported in stable state and during acute exacerbations of tobacco smoke-associated COPD (TS-COPD). Women exposed to biomass fuel smoke are known to have eosinophils in sputum. However, little is known about the sputum cellular inflammatory profile in biomass fuel smoke-associated COPD (BMS-COPD). We therefore aimed to compare the sputum cellular inflammatory profile in tobacco smoke- and biomass smoke-associated COPD. METHODS: The study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Goa, India. A total of 113 patients with stable COPD reporting to the outpatient pulmonary clinic were recruited. All participants were ≥ 40 years of age. Sputum induction studies were performed by the method of Pizzichini et al. after baseline subject characterization. Significant eosinophilia was defined as induced sputum eosinophils ≥ 3%. RESULTS: There were 85 TS-COPD and 28 BMS-COPD patients. The mean age [standard deviation (SD)] was 64.7 (7.8) and 63.0 years (8.3), p = 0.32 in TS and BMS-COPD, respectively. Eighteen subjects (21.1%) were female smokers. The smoking pack-year median [interquartile range (IQR)] was 36 (20, 58) and hour-years of biomass smoke exposure mean (SD) was 192.4 (61). The TS-COPD and BMS-COPD cases showed a post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%) mean (SD) of 57.9 (17.1), and 62.6 (19.4), p= 0.22, respectively. Both groups had similar symptoms and severity of disease. Induced sputum total cell count per gram of sputum × 106 mean (SD) was 3.05 (1.53) for TS-COPD, and 2.55(1.37) for BMS-COPD p=0.12. The neutrophils % mean (SD) was 86.4 (16.5) and 87.9 (10.2), p = 0.64; eosinophils % median (IQR) was 2.5 (1, 10) and 8 (2, 12.8), p = 0.07; lymphocytes % median (IQR) was 0 (0, 0.75) and 0 (0, 1) p = 0.13; macrophages % median (IQR) was 2.5 (0.75, 5.7) and 1 (0, 4.7) p = 0.13; and significant eosinophilia (eosinophils ≥3%) was 42 (49.4%) and 20 (71%), p=0.04, for TS-COPD and BMS-COPD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: For similar severity of disease and clinical symptoms, significant eosinophilic inflammation was observed in stable BMS-COPD, while both groups had similar neutrophilic inflammation. PARTICIPANT CONSENT: Obtained. ETHICS APPROVAL: The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of the Goa Medical College, Goa, India. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Developing knowledge and clinical competency in a respiratory system-based practice of final-year medical students through a novel structured bedside teaching module.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory diseases are a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. A sound knowledge of management of respiratory diseases is thus very vital. The clinical exposure of undergraduate medical students is limited to 2 weeks in pulmonary medicine. We hypothesized that the short duration of posting can be best utilized by developing need-based modules for bedside teaching. AIMS: This study aimed to determine gain in knowledge and skills of final-year medical students in diagnosis and management of common pulmonary diseases and assess students' perception of the module. METHODS: A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design enrolled a convenience sample of 48 final-year medical students. Twenty-four students were posted at a given time for the bedside clinical posting in pulmonary medicine between August 2013 and November 2013. These students were divided randomly into two groups of 12 students each. All students consented to be part of the study. Two trained faculty taught in rotation. The bedside teaching module was prepared by Delphi technique and curriculum was based on Kern's six-step approach. History taking, physical examination, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lung cancer, chest X-rays, and spirometry were taught. Students were administered pre- and post-test questionnaires to assess knowledge, while Objective Structured Clinical Examination assessed skills. Students' feedback questionnaire evaluated the teaching module. A two-tailed paired sample t-test assessed mean gain in knowledge and skills. Effect size was calculated by Cohen's d, while Cronbach's alpha estimated the reliability testing of perception questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using statistical software package IBM SPSS version 23. RESULTS: Mean pre- and posttest knowledge scores were 12.46 (8.09) and 43.17 (10.7), respectively, P = 0.001. Mean pre- and posttest skills scores were 7.00 (4.76) and 24.79 (3.31), respectively, P = 0.001, and Cohen's d showed large effect size. Most students stated that the module enhanced their clinical skills, helped to understand difficult material, and promoted inquiry and thinking. Cronbach's alpha for perception questionnaire was 0.854. CONCLUSIONS: Structured bedside teaching module in pulmonary medicine improved the knowledge and skills of undergraduate medical students. The contents and various teaching methodologies were evaluated positively.

Small airway imaging phenotypes in biomass- and tobacco smoke-exposed patients with COPD.

Biomass and functional small airway disease http://ow.ly/gXu730abpKu.

Rare interstitial lung disease: Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in a young non smoking Indian female.

Adult Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare interstitial lung disease which occurs almost exclusively in smokers. A marked male predominance was initially reported, but recent studies show both men and women are equally affected due to the increasing smoking habits in women. The natural history is variable with 25% of patients having asymptomatic disease while 10-20% progress rapidly to respiratory insufficiency and death. The diagnosis is not easily recognized by clinicians or pathologists. Awareness of the clinical presentation and classical HRCT findings helps in early diagnosis and management of this disease. We report a rare case of severe PLCH in a young non smoking female with a short history who progressed rapidly to respiratory failure and died.