BACKGROUND Recent surveys in emergency medicine departments show inadequacies in many aspects of acute asthma management. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the adherence to management algorithm for acute asthma in the emergency department which focused on evidence-based treatment steps rather than documentation and patient classification. METHODS A retrospective audit of...

Acetylene is a colorless gas commonly used for welding. It acts mainly as a simple asphyxiant. In this paper, however, we present a patient who developed a severe interstitial pneumonitis after acetylene exposure during aluminum welding. A 44-year old man was welding with acetylene, argon and aluminum electrode sticks in a non-ventilated aluminum tank for 2 h. Four hours after welding dyspnea a...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the actual time of onset of osteonecrosis (ON) after high dose corticosteroid treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS 72 patients with active SLE, who received high dose corticosteroid for the first time, for the development of ON at hips and knees were monitored by magnetic resonance imaging for at least 12 months. RESULTS ON lesions were detected...

AIMS To evaluate glucose tolerance of patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease before systemic corticosteroid therapy, and to assess changes brought on by treatment. METHODS 20 VKH patients with acute bilateral panuveitis were studied. 20 healthy adults and 11 Behçet's disease patients with active uveoretinitis served as controls. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was given in...

OBJECTIVE To examine whether in utero exposure to local and systemic corticosteroids is associated with asthma development in offspring. DESIGN Cohort study. SETTING Denmark. PARTICIPANTS We included all singletons born alive in Denmark between 1996 and 2009. Data on maternal corticosteroid use, asthma in offspring and covariates were obtained from medical registries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASU...

OBJECTIVE To formulate recommendations for the role of corticosteroid therapy in the management of childhood asthma. DATA SOURCES The recommendations are based on a review of the available literature and a variety of review articles on the efficacy and safety of corticosteroid therapy supplemented by personal experience in managing children with asthma. DATA SYNTHESIS 1. Preventive therapy....

BACKGROUND Severe alopecia areata (AA) is resistant to conventional treatment. Although systemic oral corticosteroids are an effective treatment for patients with severe AA, those drugs have many adverse effects. Corticosteroid pulse therapy has been introduced to increase therapeutic effects and reduce adverse effects. However, the treatment modality in severe AA is still controversial. OBJE...

BACKGROUND Which of the choroidal layers suffers the most extensive morphological changes during the course of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between total thickness and the thickness of inner or outer layers in the choroid during systemic corticosteroid therapy in patients with VKH disease. METHODS This retrospec...

BACKGROUND Lichen planus is an inflammatory disease that affects the skin, the oral mucosa, or both. Generalized cutaneous lichen planus may pose a therapeutic challenge for clinicians if the condition persists or flares after topical or systemic corticosteroid therapy. PURPOSE Acitretin, a systemic retinoid, can be considered a potential second-line treatment for patients with generalized cu...

UNLABELLED Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis describes the common shoulder condition characterized by painful and limited active and passive range of motion. The etiology of frozen shoulder remains unclear; however, patients typically demonstrate a characteristic history, clinical presentation, and recovery. A classification schema is described, in which primary frozen shoulder and idiopat...