Purpose: Respiratory diseases affect the lungs and other parts of the respiratory system. The respiratory disease affects hundreds of millions of humans, and premature death is observed in nearly four million people yearly. The major cause of the increase in this disease is the increased level of air pollution and higher tobacco usage in public places. Design/methodology/approach: We have used the search engines PubMed and Google Scholar for the keywords Respiratory diseases, Nanomaterials, diagnosis, Nanomedicine, and Target drug delivery; recent and relevant articles are selected for reviewing this paper. Findings: Nanomedicine is a recent field of research that deals with monitoring, repairing, theragnosis, and development of human biological systems at the sub-atomic level, where we utilize engineered nanodevices and nanostructures. The conventional therapeutic strategies designed for respiratory diseases have limited solubility and bioavailability. Moreover, the robust effect of the drugs led to adverse side effects due to their high dose requirement. The local delivery of therapeutic Nanoparticles (NPs) or drug-loaded nano vehicles to the lung is a safe technique for managing various respiratory tract-related diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, tuberculosis, asthma, and infection. To overcome the difficulties of conventional treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, nano-enabled drug delivery, nanoformulations of drugs as well as drug nanoencapsulation have been used recently. In this mini-review, we will discuss the importance and application of nanomedicine for diagnosis, treatment and clinical research involved in the different types of respiratory diseases. Practical implications: Nanomedicine provides an alternative delivery of drugs with the help of various nanocarriers, which enhances controlled drug delivery at the pulmonary region and can be used for treating and diagnosing respiratory diseases in vivo and in vitro studies. Further experiments followed by clinical examination are warranted to prove the potential application of nanomedicine in treating respiratory disease. Originality/value: This mini-review will help the readers and budding scientists apply new methods for developing highly efficient drugs with low side effects and improved targeted sites of action.
Choroby układu oddechowego człowieka od zawsze były obciążeniem dla całego społeczeństwa. Sytuacja stała się szczególnie trudna po wybuchu pandemii COVID-19. Jednak nawet teraz nierzadko zdarza się, że ludzie konsultują się ze swoim lekarzem zbyt późno, już po niepożądanym rozwinięciu się choroby. W celu ochrony pacjentów przed ciężką chorobą płuc, zaleca się jak najwcześniejsze wykrycie wszelkich objawów zaburzających pracę układu oddechowego. W artykule przedstawiono wczesny prototyp urządzenia, który przypomina cyfrowy stetoskop. Przeprowadza on automatyczną analizę oddechu, poza rejestrowaniem cykli oddechowych. Dodatkowo urządzenie ma funkcję powiadamiania użytkownika (np. przez smartfon) o konieczności udania się do lekarza na bardziej szczegółowe badanie. Dźwiękowe nagranie cykli oddechu przekształcane jest na dwuwymiarową macierz za pomocą współczynników cepstrum w skali melowej (MFCC). Taka macierz jest analizowana przez sztuczną sieć neuronową. W wyniku przeprowadzonych badań stwierdzono, że najlepsze z otrzymanych rozwiązań prezentowanej sieci neuronowej osiągnęło pożądaną dokładność i wysoką precyzję.
EN
Diseases related to the human respiratory system have always been a burden for the entire society. The situation has become particularly difficult now after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even now, however, it is not uncommon for people to consult their doctor too late, after the disease has developed. To protect patients from severe disease, it is recommended that any symptoms disturbing the respiratory system be detected as early as possible. This article presents an early prototype of a device that can be compared to a digital stethoscope that performs auto-breath analysis. So apart from recording the respiratory cycles, the device also analyzes them. In addition, it also has the functionality of notifying the user (e.g. via a smartphone) about the need to go to the doctor for a more detailed examination. The audio recording of breath cycles is transformed to a two-dimensional matrix using mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCC). Such a matrix is analyzed by an artificial neural network. As a result of the research, it was found that the best of the obtained solutions of the presented neural network achieved the desired accuracy and precision at the level of 84%.
Much of the research in high-altitude medicine has been concerned with non-indigenous travellers; no study has examined the work-related health issues of high altitude mountain guides (Sherpas) in Nepal. This pilot study was performed to investigate the work-related health issues of people working as Sherpas by evaluating their perceptions of their general health and its relation to work. An occupational and general health questionnaire was tailored for the Sherpas following a focus group with five Sherpa workers. 131 Sherpas participated in this study. Respiratory (60%) and musculoskeletal symptoms (55%) were reported significantly more frequently than other health problems (p < .05). 33 Sherpas reported work accident experiences (25%) and 27 (21%) reported eye conditions. This pilot study identified respiratory and musculoskeletal problems as well as accidents as the main work-related health issues of high altitude climbing Sherpas. Another important finding was the high prevalence of reported eye conditions (21%). Better occupational health and safety arrangements including routine recording of accidents or work-related health problems would give better insight into the health needs of Sherpas.
Celem pracy było określenie częstości występowania chorób układu oddechowego wśród kandydatów do czynnej służby wojskowej na okrętach Marynarki Wojennej RP, badanych w latach 2000-2007 przez Wojskową Komisję Morsko-Lekarską w Gdańsku. Przeanalizowano dane 21009 mężczyzn zawarte w dokumentacji medycznej WKML. Najczęstszymi schorzeniami były: astma oskrzelowa oraz gruźlica, przebyta w okresie poprzedzającym badania. Zaobserwowano także rosnący w czasie trend w występowaniu chorób układu oddechowego, będących przyczyną niezdolności do czynnej służby wojskowej, wśród młodych mężczyzn w Polsce.
EN
The aim of the work was to determine the frequency of respiratory system diseases among the candidates for active military duty on the ships of Polish Navy, examined in years 2000-2007 by the Military Maritime-Medical Commission in Gdansk. 21009 men's data, included in the MMMC’s medical documentation, were analyzed. The most common diseases were: bronchial asthma and tuberculosis, experienced in the pre-examination period. An increasing tendency was observed in the occurrence of respiratory tract diseases which was identified as the cause of inability for active military duty among young men in Poland.
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