Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D G Kissner.
A woman presented in the late third trimester of pregnancy with upper airway obstruction. Pulmonary functions improved with the inhalation of a low-density mixture of He and O2. That gas mixture was employed to augment the air flow and to decrease the respiratory effort during labor and delivery.
The incidence of tuberculosis in the United States appears to be rising, most likely because of the introduction of the human immunodeficiency virus, and other factors such as outbreaks among the homeless and immigration of infected people from other countries. Because diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis has shifted from specialized centers to the community, it is important that primary care physicians recognize and properly manage early forms of the disease. Several patients are described for whom an early diagnosis was not made, resulting in serious morbidity for the patients and risk of spread of disease to contacts.
A patient developed 3 separate episodes of fever, transient pulmonary infiltrates, and bronchospasm after inhalation of cocaine. The illness was associated with eosinophilia, pruritus, and an elevated IgE level, indicating an immunologic pathogenetic mechanism. This is a complication of cocaine abuse not previously reported.
Anomalous pulmonary venous connection is a congenital defect which may first be diagnosed in the adult who has developed lung disease or pulmonary vascular obstructive disease. Surgical repair may be inadvisable in such a case. To date, little attention has been paid in the literature to medical management. A case is presented in which medical palliation with nitrate therapy was successful.