COPD-INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER
http://www.COPD-International.com
Dedicated to the philosophy
"You can learn to control this disease instead of letting it control
you!"
Monday, September 29, 2003
Volume #2 -- Issue #39
Susie Bowers, Editor -- Web-Editor@COPD-International.com
Copyright © 2003 COPD-International.com All rights reserved.
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> > > > > > > > > > IN THIS ISSUE < < < < < < < < < <
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==> Welcome
==> COPD News
==> Recalls/Warnings
==> Featured Articles - Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
==> Nutrition/Wellness
==> Community Update
==> Link Directory
==> Just for Fun
==> Recipe
==> Closing Thought
==> Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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> > > > > > > > > WELCOME < < < < < < < < < <
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ABOUT US
We are a group of fellow COPD sufferers, caregivers and others
interested in this disease. Our online community is devoted to
helping one another to live the best life possible with this
debilitating illness through interactive support.
As many of us have found, COPD is a disease of many faces,
contradictions and components. Therefore, our diversified community
is here to share its combined wealth of knowledge and information,
so we may all become well-informed patients and take control of our
disease rather than letting this disease control us.
EDITORIAL COMMENTS
There are many other lung diseases and syndromes that affect our
lungs. Among them is acute or adult respiratory distress syndrome
(ARDS). ARDS is a medical condition that prevents the normal
breathing process from taking place. It occurs when there is severe
inflammation in both lungs, resulting in the inability of the lungs
to function properly.
ARDS occurs in conjunction with catastrophic medical conditions,
such as pneumonia, shock, sepsis or severe infection throughout the
body.
This week's newsletter features information on ARDS.
We welcome your input and participation in our newsletters and will
review for publication any pertinent information you wish to share
with others on COPD and related topics. If you wish to contribute to
the newsletter, please contact us at
Newsletter@COPD-International.com
Yours in health ...
Susie
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> > > > > > > > > COPD NEWS < < < < < < < < < <
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SINGAPORE: LAB ACCIDENT CAUSE OF SARS CASE
An investigation led by the World Health Organization (WHO) says
the world's first SARS case in three months was the result of an
accident at a government-run laboratory in Singapore that was
researching the disease. See News Story:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=3491913
NEW RESEARCH STUDY FOR COPD PATIENTS
This research study will test an experimental non-FDA approved
drug to compare its safety and tolerability with a placebo in people
who have emphysema. The experimental drug is called Retinoid.
For more information, go to
http://www.coloradohealthsite.org/COPD/copdpatient_alert.html
SCIENTISTS FIND GENE TIED TO STROKE RISK
Researchers in Iceland say they have discovered the first gene that
underlies common forms of stroke. People with a particular version
of the gene have a three to five times greater risk of stroke, said
the researchers. This is as large as or larger than known
environmental risk factors like high blood pressure, high
cholesterol and smoking. Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/22/science/22STRO.html?hp
Editor's Note: The article above is available free of charge
for online subscribers. To access the article you need only
fill out a short user form.
MEN GET WAKE-UP CALL ABOUT SLEEP APNEA
Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that has been
diagnosed in millions of American men, but is overlooked in perhaps
millions more. The disease has been associated with a variety of
serious health problems, including high-blood pressure, heart
attacks and strokes. Though it can appear at any age, the condition
primarily affects middle-aged men. By some estimates, about 4
percent of middle-aged men have sleep apnea, said Dr. Carl Hunt,
director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research in
Bethesda, Md. That is double the rate for middle-aged women. See
Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/22/health/menshealth/22NAGO.html
Editor's Note: The article above is available free of charge
for online subscribers. To access the article you need only
fill out a short user form.
ABSTRACT: MECHANICAL VENTILATION IN ICU
This abstract looks at the withdrawal of mechanical ventilation in
anticipation of death in the intensive care unit (ICU). It concludes
that rather than age or the severity of the illness and organ
dysfunction, the strongest determinants of the withdrawal of
ventilation in critically ill patients were the physician's
perception that the patient preferred not to use life support, the
physician's predictions of a low likelihood of survival in ICU and a
high likelihood of poor cognitive function. Abstract:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/349/12/1123
PRONE POSITION IMPROVES LUNG FUNCTION
Prone position improves lung mechanical behavior and enhances gas
exchange efficiency in mechanically ventilated COPD patients.
Abstract:
http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/content/abstract/96/6/1756
SURVEY: DETECTING COPD USING PEAK FLOW RATE
The British Thoracic Society recommends spirometry, not peak
expiratory flow, for diagnosing patients as having COPD. Recording
data from spirometry in patients' notes has been proposed as a
marker of quality of care. But general practitioners are more
familiar with peak expiratory flow rate. This survey suggests that
peak expiratory flow rate is good at detecting patients with COPD.
See Paper:
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/327/7416/653
STRESS MAY ALL BE IN YOUR HEAD
What causes stress isn't always what's going on around us - it's
how we perceive these events. How well you cope with stress can
impact your health. This link leads to an article about stress
and how to better cope.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/934327.asp
THE FILTHY TRUTH ABOUT HANDS
The SARS outbreak in Toronto apparently caused men there to start
washing their hands after using the bathroom, according to a new
survey conducted for the American Society of Microbiology. Apart
from Toronto, however, the figures collected by observers in airport
bathrooms did not paint a very sanitary picture.
In five American cities, only 70 percent of men and 80 percent of
women washed their hands. The lowest percentage among men was found
in Chicago (38 percent); among women, it was in San Francisco (41
percent).
The survey was released at the society's conference in Chicago last
week. Dr. Judy A. Daly, a microbiologist at the University of Utah,
who is the association's secretary, said that in Toronto after the
SARS outbreak the washing group soared to 96 percent in both men and
women.
Many people erroneously believe that viruses are spread only by
airborne particles, Dr. Daly said. As a result, only 31 percent of
people said they routinely washed their hands after coughing or
sneezing, "when the hands by design are loaded with bacteria," she
said.
Alcohol wipes or solutions or "soap and water and 15 seconds of
friction" can remove over 90 percent of microbes on the hands, Dr.
Daly said.
(New York Times)
SMOKERS MAY BE AT RISK FOR MEMORY LOSS
Associated Press reported on a recent study, conducted by
researchers at the University College in London and published in the
American Journal of Public Health, which suggests that heavy smokers
may be at risk for serious cognitive decline as they enter old age.
According to the article, the researchers tracked 2,000 British
adults as part of a broader health study, but tested a sample of
them on memory, concentration and visual speed at age 43 and again
at age 53. According to the article, heavy smoking (more than 20
cigarettes a day) was associated with faster declines in verbal
memory and visual speed, but the researchers say the declines were
small. The article reports that the researchers will continue to
study these trends as their subjects continue to age.
Make browsing in our Library and catching up on general medical
news in our Reading Room part of your daily surfing routine at
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/
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> > > > > > > > > RECALLS / WARNINGS < < < < < < < < < <
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WARNING
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers
not to consume "teas" brewed from star anise. It has come to FDA's
attention that brewed "teas" containing star anise have been
associated with illnesses affecting about 40 individuals, including
approximately 15 infants. See Press Release:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2003/NEW00941.html
RECALLS
To view U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls go to
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/Recalls.htm
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> > > > > > > > > FEATURED ARTICLES < < < < < < < < <
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ALL ABOUT ARDS
Acute (or adult) respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a
life-threatening condition in which inflammation of the lungs and
accumulation of fluid in the air sacs (alveoli) leads to low blood
oxygen levels. Some common causes include pneumonia, septic shock,
trauma and aspiration of vomit or chemical inhalation. See More:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000103.htm#Symptoms
ALA FACT SHEET ON ARDS
The American Lung Association (ALA) offers the following fact sheet
on ARDS.
http://www.lungusa.org/diseases/ards_factsheet.html
ARDS: MYTHS AND CONTROVERSIES
http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijeicm/vol1n1/
ards.xml
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> > > > > > > > > > NUTRITION/WELLNESS < < < < < < < < <
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SUPER-SIZE FOOD DAMAGING HEALTH
King-sized portions may seem good value, but they could be really
damaging your health. Eating too many so-called "American-style"
portions puts us more at risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
See Story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/newsid_3116000/3116700.stm
EXERCISE IS A GOOD HABIT TO PICK UP
A large number of Americans have failed to catch the exercise bug,
and the effects are showing up not only in their expanding girth but
also in their health - and death - statistics. American women are
particularly sedentary. According to the 2000 National Health
Interview Survey, 72 percent of women and 64 percent of men get no
regular exercise. See Column:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/16/health/nutrition/16BROD.html?fta=y
Editor's Note: The article above is available free of charge
for online subscribers. To access the article you need only
fill out a short user form.
SADNESS IS NOT DEPRESSION
Sadness is an emotion that we all feel at times. It's not the same
as depression. The link below leads to ways to tell the difference.
http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/depression/a/depressad.htm
FOLLOW UP: GOOD SOURCE ON FALL ALLERGIES
http://www.msnbc.com/news/FALLALL_Front.asp?0cv=HA01
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> > > > > > > > > > > COMMUNITY UPDATE < < < < < < < < < < <
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WELCOME NEW SUBSCRIBERS!
We welcome all our new subscribers and invite you to join our
e-mail lists and check out our chat rooms, where you can talk freely
about COPD in an atmosphere of fellowship. The link to the chat
schedules can be found on our Home Page or just drop in anytime
you have a need to talk. For new subscribers, archives of back
issues of the newsletter can be accessed at
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/newsletters/archives.htm
DAILY CHATS
Scheduled chats with hosts are held daily. We invite everyone to
stop in and visit. See Chat Schedule:
http://www.copd-international.com/Chat-schedule.htm
Also, the special weekly on-topic chats are listed below.
TWO ON-TOPIC CHATS CANCELLED
Two regular scheduled topic chats, transplants held Wednesdays
at 7 p.m. (EDT) and exercise held Mondays at 2 p.m. (EDT),
have been cancelled for the timebeing. Be on the lookout for new chats
starting soon that will be geared to more focused COPD-related information.
On-Topic Chats (All Eastern Time)
-- Caregivers: Sundays at 4 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
Host Kitty (Note: Only caregivers in these chats please.)
http://www.copd-international.com/caregivers/chat.htm
-- Quit Smoking Now (QSN): Mondays at 9 p.m.
Host Don from NM - Don is a smoking cessation counselor.
http://www.copd-international.com/quit_smoking/chat.htm
For more information on our chat rooms, please contact Deb, chat
coordinator, at
Chat@COPD-International.com
We look forward to seeing you!
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> > > > > > > > > > > > LINK DIRECTORY < < < < < < < < < < < <
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SPECIAL-INTEREST PROGRAMS
-- Quit Smoking Support:
http://www.COPD-International.com/quit_smoking/-- Exercise Forum:
http://www.COPD-International.com/exercise/-- Caregivers Support:
http://www.copd-international.com/caregivers/-- COPD Library:
http://www.COPD-International.com/Library/-- Welcome Wagon:
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http://www.copd-international.com/volunteer.htm
Don't forget to checkout all our support programs listed on our Home
Page at www.COPD-International.com
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> > > > > > > > > JUST FOR FUN < < < < < < < < < <
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CELEBRITY NAME GAME
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/quiz/Quiz.aspx?QuizID=69
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> > > > > > > > > > RECIPE < < < < < < < < < < <
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ENGLISH SAUSAGE ROLLS
Sausage rolls are a common Brit snack and easy to recreate using
American ingredients.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 35 Minutes
Makes: 12 sausage rolls
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package ground sage pork sausage
1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry
sheets, thawed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 beaten egg
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees
C).
2. Unfold the puff pastry
sheets, and cut along the fold lines of
each sheet to form 6
equal squares for a total of 12 squares. Brush
each square with mustard.
Divide sausage into 12 pieces, and roll
into small logs. Place
one log on each square. Roll dough around the
sausage, and seal with a
bit of beaten egg. Place rolls onto an
ungreased baking sheet,
and brush the tops with the rest of the egg.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or
until the rolls are
puffed and golden. These
freeze (unbaked) very well.
(Allrecipes)
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> > > > > > > > > > CLOSING THOUGHT < < < < < < < < <
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A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances,
but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.
-- Hugh Downs --
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