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Consumption of nitrate in drinking water has previously been associated with a range of adverse health effects, including methemoglobinemia and potentially cancer. In animal models, it has been shown to impact respiratory structure and function, however, there is a paucity of data of the effects of in utero exposure on the respiratory health of offspring.
Promptly recognising changes in an acutely unwell child’s condition is fundamental to prevent tragic outcomes. Western Australian (WA) healthcare facilities used inconsistent and varied paediatric early warning systems. To improve care consistency, a standardised ESCALATION system, inclusive of family involvement and sepsis recognition, was developed.
There is no published information on preterm children's activities and participation during middle childhood, a time when growth and development are characterised by increasing motor, reasoning, self-regulation, social and executive functioning skills. This study explored the health, activities and participation of children born very preterm during middle childhood (6-9 years) from the perspectives of their parents.
Electronic cigarette use, especially among younger members of society, has grown to concerning levels in many countries, including Australia and New Zealand. Uptake in the general population, driven by technological and pharmacological innovations, and accelerated by aggressive tobacco/vaping industry marketing, has outpaced medical research.
Small airway and lung parenchymal abnormalities frequently occur following preterm birth but are commonly missed by spirometry. Static lung volumes, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D LCO) and oscillometry provide a more precise characterisation of these conditions. We hypothesised that differences in these measures exist between individuals born preterm and at term and we aimed to systematically review the literature to identify and quantify these differences in lung function.
The nasal epithelium is the primary point of contact for inhaled respiratory viruses such as rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and coronavirus, among others. In order to establish infection, these viruses must engage their respective receptors located on host epithelial cells and begin replication.
Amniotic epithelial cells are fetal-derived stem cells, capable of differentiating into all three germ layers, including mature epithelial cell populations. Here, we hypothesised that the amniotic epithelium might serve as a surrogate tissue source for investigating transcriptional profiles in the respiratory epithelium of newborns.
Japan recently experienced a record surge in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Our environmental surveillance study reveals that Streptococcus pyogenes persists seasonally, peaking in autumn and winter in rural Japan. The dominant emm1 M1UK sublineage and csrS mutations heighten virulence, highlighting the urgent need for targeted surveillance and interventions.
Burkholderia cepacia complex causes life-threatening respiratory infections. Here, a bacteriophage with activity against B. cenocepacia was isolated from wastewater. It has a genome size of 70,144 bp and has the taxonomic classification Irusalimvirus. It has no genes associated with lysogeny, bacterial resistance, or virulence.
The identification of a COPD etiotype associated with preterm birth (COPD-developmental) has expedited calls for intervention strategies that may improve health outcomes for survivors of preterm birth (<37 weeks' gestation). Pulmonary-rehabilitation style training interventions achieve physiological and symptom improvement in older people with COPD, but whether similar training interventions are suitable for young people is unclear. We sought to understand the perceived need and requirements of an exercise training intervention for children, adolescents and adults born preterm.