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aim,3,4 Ioana Munteanu,2,3,6 Cristina Popa,2,3 Mădălina Burecu,2,3 Paula Rusu,3 Andreea Cioacată,2 Ioana Mădălina Moșteanu,2,7 Antonela Dragomir1– 31Pneumology II Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; 2Pneumology Clinic, "Marius Nasta" Institute of Pneumology, Bucharest, Romania; 3Tuberculosis Screening Program, "Marius Nasta" Institute of Pneumology, Bucharest, Romania; 4Research Department, "Marius Nasta" Institute of Pneumology, Bucharest, Romania; 5Faculty of Economic Cybernetics, Statistics and Informatics, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania; 6Faculty of Medicine, "Titu Maiorescu" University, Bucharest, Romania; 7Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Craiova, Romania Correspondence: Dragoș Băiceanu; Alexandru Stoichiță, "Marius Nasta" Institute of Pneumology, 90 Viilor Street, Bucharest, 050159, Romania, Tel +4 0749 574 412, Email [email protected] ; [email protected] Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health challenge, requiring enhanced active case finding (ACF) through screening strategies. This study assesses the effectiveness of such an approach in locating TB cases among vulnerable groups, such as homeless persons, injecting drug users, those detained in prison, and people living in rural areas. Methods: The study focuses on socio-economic characteristics and TB detection rates across Romanian counties using modern techniques including computer-aided detection of lesions on chest X-ray and GeneXpert tests. Results: The results highlight the disproportionate burden of TB in vulnerable groups, by revealing significant differences in TB detection rates between regions. Notably, the TB detection rates among these vulnerable groups (250.85 per 100,000 population) are five times higher than the national incidence rate (46.1). Discussion: These findings underscore the imperative integration of ACF into National TB Program to provide customized and efficient solutions for diverse vulnerable groups, thereby informing crucial public health initiatives and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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One of the main behavioural risk factors is smoking, the most preventable cause of death and disease, because it can be successfully removed through comprehensive and tobacco-control policies. Although the water environment has a large rehabilitation potential extending from the treatment of acute injuries up to health maintaining in the confrontation with chronic diseases, however it still remains a means which is too little used. Recent research has proven that exercises performed on dry land by the patients diagnosed with chronic lung disease are often hard to endure. The study was conducted on a number of 8 smokers with a mean age of 46.3 years (±9 years), 5 males and 3 females. Of them, 3 subjects were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 2 subjects with bronchiectasis, 1 subject with chronic bronchitis (dyspnoea at moderate and intense effort) and 2 with restrictive respiratory failure. The purpose of this paper is to improve quality of life of the research subjects diagnosed with bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and restrictive respiratory failure, by recovering the lung function following the application of aquatic therapy programmes adapted to individual possibilities. The results have revealed significant effects on the lung functionality in patients with pulmonary diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014 the World Health Organization adopted a new strategy for tuberculosis control - infectious disease with the highest mortality in the world aft er AIDS. This new strategy - The End TB Strategy - is aimed to reducing tuberculosis disease by 90% and tuberculosis mortality by 95%, so that by 2035 TB is no longer considered a problem global public health. The World Health Organization report on tuberculosis published in 2014 is estimated that about one third of the world population is infected with M. tuberculosis (approx. 2 billion); 5-10% of them will develop active disease, thus fullfi ling the TB pandemia. It is therefore an essential objective to diagnose these cases of latent tuberculosis infection and to establish precise criteria of the latent TB infection treatment. Tuberculin skin test is the most important test for emphasis of TB infection in an organism. The results obtained in recent years in mycobacterial genomics and human cell immunology have led to the development of other tests that detect tuberculosis infection, of which the most commonly used is the test that measures the release of IFN-γ (Interferon gamma-releasing assay IGRA). Any patient with increased risk of infection to disease progression and who has a positive skin test is a candidate for treatment. Immuno-compromised patients (HIV infected, treatment with anti-TNF, organ transplantation, immunosuppressive medication) with LTBI have a higher risk of reactivation. Immuno-compromised patients with LTBI should receive treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present the case of a 32 years male patient admitted for lung consolidations with bilateral extension tendency, associated to fever, respiratory failure and hepatic involvement, with a sudden onset two weeks after contact with apparently healthy parrots. Bronchiolo-alveolar lavage was suggestive for a hypersensitivity pneumonia, but the clinical evolution was good with antibiotics (macrolides, than doxycycline). Radiologic resolution was spectacular. Serum antibodies anti-ch. Psittaci were present in low titre, at the limit of significance. Final diagnosis was chlamydia psittaci pneumonia.

Aim: evaluation of real ambulatory treatment followed by COPD patients. Eighty COPD patients were prospectively interviewed: 1 in stage I, 11 in stage II, 36 in stage III and 32 in stage IV. They were asked what medication they use as chronic ambulatory treatment and on what duration through one year, how many periodic check-ups they make. Most used medication is: short acting beta-2-agonists (63 pts), inhaled corticosteroids (40 pts), aminophylline (37 pts), long-acting theophylline (36 pts), and fixed combinations steroid + long-acting beta-2-agonist (35 pts). Eighteen patients had chronic prednisone treatment and 12 antibiotic prophylactic treatment. Only 31 patients had an anti-flu vaccine. There are no significant differences between treatment in rural and urban patients. Most patients follow the treatment for only 6 months a year., Conclusions: real ambulatory treatment in COPD is generally insufficient as duration and therapeutic principles, associating low frequency of periodic check-ups and a high frequency of exacerbations.