Search PubMed⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 6994607

Legionnaires' disease.

R D Meyer·S M Finegold
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Legionella pneumophila infections frequently manifest themselves as a multisystem disease with acute pneumonia. Certain clinical and laboratory features are helpful in diagnosis but none are pathognomonic. Diagnosis frequently must be made clinically and erythromycin given presumptively because of the delay in seroconversion but culture and direct fluorescent antibody testing are quite useful for rapid diagnosis. Epidemiologic and laboratory investigations will undoubtedly yield considerable information about this fascinating bacterial disease.

Explore related subjects

Air ConditioningBacteriaCross InfectionDisease OutbreaksErythromycinHumansLegionnaires' DiseasePneumoniaRifampinTetracyclineUnited StatesJournal ArticleReview

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

R D Meyer, S M Finegold. 1980. Legionnaires' disease.. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.me.31.020180.001251

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2001

Investigation of the potential for radon mitigation by operation of mechanical systems affecting indoor air.

Mitigation of radon gas and radon progeny in buildings is based largely on reducing the pressure difference between the point of the radiation source and the point of entry to indoor air. This study identifies the influence of mechanical systems, of air-conditioning and 'wet' systems of central heating as potential remediation agents in the control of radon and progeny concentrations. Air-conditioning was found to reduce radon levels in a systematic way within a few hours of start-up, to a low fraction of the immediately preceding concentration. Central heating reduced the level by around 40% of the preceding high within a few hours of start-up. Importantly for health concerns, under operating conditions of both types of system the level of radon progeny was reduced to a greater extent than the radon progenitor.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed2001

Validation test for climate control on air-loss supports.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple, reproducible validation test protocol for classification of air-loss support systems. DESIGN: Simultaneous experimental measurement of moisture loss and temperature reduction at the air-loss support surface-human body equivalent interface from a sweating human skin analogue. SETTING: A hospital department of physical medicine and rehabilitation. OTHER PARTICIPANTS: These 3 manufacturers contributed 14 support surfaces. INTERVENTIONS: Test support surfaces and a standard foam mattress were placed on a hospital bed. Water was circulated to a loading gauge, placed on a dry moisture reservoir, and connected to a water bath to keep the interface at 37 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees C. The loading gauge and support surface was adjusted 23cm below the water bath level and the air flow through the interface initiated. After the dry moisture reservoir came to temperature equilibrium for 30 minutes, it was replaced with a wet one that was saturated with 36g of saline. The temperature change and evaporation rate were recorded throughout a 90-minute test period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Temperature of support surface interface and evaporation rate. RESULTS: Clustered data from temperature reduction and standardized rate of moisture loss yielded 3 groups of support surfaces in categories of no air loss (control), low air loss (LAL), and high air loss. The mean values of the characteristic temperature reduction and rate of moisture loss differed significantly between the groups. By multiple comparisons with Bonferroni's adjustment, the group means differed significantly for average temperature reduction (p <.017) and for standardized rate of moisture loss (p =.0001). The measured temperature change at any instant of time reflected the effect of evaporation and the opposing effect of thermal conductivity. CONCLUSION: Measurements of support interface climate change allowed for selective grouping of LAL surfaces according to rate of moisture evaporation and the resulting temperature reduction. Neither temperature change nor evaporation rate alone was sufficient to determine the microclimate characteristics of the support surface. Combined, these characteristics can effectively describe the performance of any LAL support system and may be used to define standards of performance.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed2001

Metropolitan home living conditions associated with indoor endotoxin levels.

BACKGROUND: Household endotoxin exposure in allergy and asthma has been gaining attention for its dual potential to exacerbate these conditions in individuals with established disease and to abrogate atopy before disease onset. OBJECTIVE: We sought to better understand the home environmental and lifestyle factors influencing house dust endotoxin levels. METHODS: From the homes of 86 infants with wheeze in metropolitan Denver, Colorado, house dust endotoxin (detected with a standardized Limulus Amebocyte Lysate assay) and common indoor allergen (Fel d 1, Can f 1, Der p 1, Der f 1, and Bla g 1) contents were quantified. Comprehensive home environment and lifestyle questionnaires were completed during home visits by trained study staff and parents. RESULTS: House dust endotoxin levels were associated with only 2 home environmental features: animals in the home and the presence of central air conditioning. The strongest positive associations were found with animals in the home. Interestingly, the homes without cats or other animals revealed a negative correlation between house dust Fel d 1 and endotoxin (P =.03). Central air conditioning, especially during months of typical use, was associated with lower house dust endotoxin levels. No significant associations between house dust endotoxin levels and home dampness, number of household inhabitants or young children, cleaning frequency, or presence of tobacco smokers in the home were found. CONCLUSIONS: Indoor endotoxin exposure can be increased by the presence of animals in the home and decreased with central air conditioning. In some homes without animals, where allergen exposure adequate for sensitization still occurs, there are lower levels of house dust endotoxin. Therefore in homes without animals, factors that influence allergen and endotoxin levels in house dust probably differ. Households with detectable allergen levels but low endotoxin levels may provide a predisposing environment for animal allergen sensitization.

Air Conditioning↗