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What is pulmonary fibrosis? "Fibrosis" is a term used to refer to scarring, so pulmonary fibrosis means scarring throughout the lungs. Pulmonary fibrosis can be caused by many conditions including chronic inflammatory processes (sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis ), infections, environmental agents (asbestos, silica, exposure to certain gases), exposure to ionizing radiation (such as radiation therapy to treat tumors of the chest), chronic conditions (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), and certain medications.
At least one person has died in Germany after contracting a dangerous strain of E. coli. The outbreak, whose cause is currently not known, is concentrated in the north of the country. Over 400 confirmed or suspected cases have already been recorded. Health officials in Germany are in a state of alarm over an outbreak of E. coli infections that has already caused one confirmed death. The health ministry in the northwestern German state of Lower Saxony announced on Tuesday that an 83-year-old woman had died after being infected with E. coli. She was admitted to hospital with bloody diarrhea on May 15 and died on Saturday, the ministry said. Health authorities confirmed that tests had confirmed the woman was infected with the E. coli pathogen. In Bremen, authorities reported that a young woman with symptoms of an E. coli infection had died in the early hours of Tuesday, but laboratory tests have yet to confirm the diagnosis. A third woman infected with E. coli died in Schleswig-Holstein on Sunday, but the cause of death was unclear. The woman was over 80 and was in hospital to have an operation. The current outbreak involves a strain known as enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Symptoms of an infection include bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps.In some cases, an infection can cause a disease called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure and even death. The outbreak began in the second week of May, and authorities in Germany have so far recorded over 400 confirmed or suspected cases of EHEC infections.
Source
Chemotherapy-related hemolytic-uremic syndrome following treatment of a carcinoma of the nasopharynx. Thurnher D, Kletzmayr J, Formanek M, Quint C, Czerny C, Burian M, Kornek G. Source Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria. [email protected] Abstract OBJECTIVE: A cisplatin-containing regimen followed by radiation therapy is the recommended treatment for patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. We report a case of a 58-year-old woman with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) who received induction chemotherapy for undifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During the 2nd course of chemotherapy (consisting of bleomycin, cisplatin and epirubicin), the patient developed hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. After HUS had been diagnosed, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit. RESULTS: Twice daily therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) with fresh-frozen plasma, hemodialysis and high-dose cortisone was performed. Two weeks after the start of plasma exchange, thrombocytes and renal function began to normalize. Low-dose cortisone was continued until the patient recovered from hemolytic anemia. Six weeks after the administration of the second course of chemotherapy, the patient had fully recovered from HUS, and radiation therapy was carried out as planned. The patient responded well to treatment, but died 9 months after the diagnosis due to liver metastases.