We investigated the clinical usefulness of cough challenge tests based on mechanical stimulation.
Methods: A total of 347 patients (126 men and 221 women) were enrolled in the study, including 161 patients with asthma, 116 with cough-variant asthma, 27 with acute upper respiratory tract viral infections, 25 with acute bronchitis, four with pneumonia, three with chronic bronchitis and 11 with cough of unknown aetiology. Three modes of mechanical stimulation
were assessed: the cervical trachea was compressed softly with the fingers several times (tracheal compression test); the trachea was stretched by retroflexion of the neck for 5 s (tracheal stretch test); and a vibrating tuning fork was placed on the cervical CA4P Cytoskeletal Signaling inhibitor trachea for 20 s (tuning fork test). The relationships between phonation-induced cough and the results of these tests were assessed.
Results: The cough detection rate was 27.7% with the tracheal compression test, 39.8% with the tracheal stretch test and 36.9% with the tuning fork test. An itchy sensation with or without cough was noted by about 50% of subjects undergoing each of the tests. Provocation of cough and an itchy sensation during each test was
significantly more frequent in subjects with phonation-induced cough. Tests were usually negative after improvement of the cough with treatment.
Conclusions: Mechanical stimulation of the cervical trachea is a feasible cough challenge test that may be useful for evaluating disease activity.”
“The European Union (EU) refers to health mTOR inhibitor as a human right in many internal and external
communications, policies and agreements, defending its universality. In parallel, specific health needs of migrants originating from outside the EU have been acknowledged. Yet, their right to health and in particular sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is currently not ensured throughout the EU. This paper reflects on the results of a comprehensive literature review on migrants’ SRH in the EU applying the Critical Interpretive Synthesis review method.
We highlight the discrepancy between a proclaimed rights-based approach to health and actual obstacles to migrants’ attainment of good SRH. Uncertainties on entitlements of diverse migrant CB-5083 solubility dmso groups are fuelled by unclear legal provisions, creating significant barriers to access health systems in general and SRH services in particular. Furthermore, the rare strategies addressing migrants’ health fail to address sexual health and are generally limited to perinatal care and HIV screening. Thus, future European public health policy-making should not only strongly encourage its Member States to ensure equal access to health care for migrants as for EU citizens, but also promote migrants’ SRH effectively through a holistic and inclusive approach in SRH policies, prevention and care. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.