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Toxins produced by the bacteria are of particular interest as potential cargo combat possible for use in a terrorist attack or war. Shiga toxin is usually produced by shiga toxigenic strains of Escherichia coli (STEC - shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli). To infection occurs mostly after eating contaminated beef. Clinical syndromes associated with Shiga toxin diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS - hemolytic uremic syndrome) or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Treatment is symptomatic. In HUS, in which mortality during an epidemic reaches 20%, extending the kidney injury dialysis may be necessary. Exposure to tetanus toxin produced by Clostridium tetani, resulting in the most generalized tetanus, characterized by increased muscle tension and painful contractions of individual muscle groups. In the treatment beyond symptomatic behavior (among others spasticity medications, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants) is used tetanus antitoxin and antibiotics (metronidazole choice). A common complication is acute respiratory failure - then it is necessary to implement mechanical ventilation.

Viral infections are the most common cause of acute respiratory diseases. They are caused by adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, influenza and parainfluenza viruses, metapneumoviruses, syncytial-respiratory viruses and coronaviruses. Respiratory symptoms also may be due to hemorrhagic fever viruses, especially hantaviruses, that not occur in Poland. The clinical course of viral infections varies from asymptomatic to rapidly-progressing, high- mortality disease. The diagnosis is based on serology and genetic methods. It is also possible to isolate the virus in the tissue culture. Virus-specyfic treatment is not available, except influenza virus.

Rickettsioses are infectious diseases transmitted to human by arthropodes, characterized by different clinical manifestation, from subclinical symptoms, through the mild virus-like infection to severe disease with multiorgan complications. Rickettsiosis include typhus, spotted fevers, anaplasmosis, bartonellosis and Q fever. In some of these diseases respiratory symptoms predominate (i.e. acute Q fever), where as one do not occure in the others at all. Rickettsiosis treatment is based usually on the use of tetracycline antibiotics.

Authors present a case of EH as an accidental finding in 40 year old woman appeared as the presented small, solid nodules in both lungs on a routine chest radiograph and HRCT scans. There were no signs in clinical examination, no abnormalities were presented in the spirometric and respiratory tests, neither in the endoscopic digestive tract examinations nor in CT scans of abdomen. The histological examination of open lung biopsy revealed the morphology of epithelioid haemangioendothelioma. During one year follow up no clinical nor radiological progressions have been observed.

In the medical literature there have been described some methods to determine bronchodilator response. They are different because of the required percentage increase in FEV1 and /or FVC and the way of expressing results -as the percent of predicted or initial value. This study on 38 subjects evaluated that there is better bronchodilator responses when the results are presented as the percentage of the initial value compared with the predicted value. The intensity of improvement in FEV1 depends on the baseline airway obstruction. There are more meaningful responses in subjects with 'poor' initial value when using the criteria of change in FEV1 as a percentage of initial value. About 10% of positive responses are misunderstood as 'poor' when it was considered improvement only in FEV1 (they are positive with reference only to FVC).

Recently there has been an intense research what is the role of nitric oxide (NO) in physiological and pathological processes is, especially in pneumonology. Authors discussed endogenous NO synthesis, its molecular mechanism of action, as well as the importance of its detection in exhaled air and clinical utility of such measurements in asthma (AO) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is evidence that eNO is increased in asthma, correlates with other inflammatory markers and corticosteroids, and anti-leukotrienes reduce its levels. In contrast, assessments of eNO in patients with COPD revealed conflicting results. The authors pointed out, that the eNO level analysis is easy to perform, may be used to diagnose and monitor disease activity and the effects of anti-inflammatory therapy. However this method has limitations resulting from high costs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of air pollution on pulmonary function parameters in healthy non-smoking young men. The study comprised 1,278 healthy, non-smoking young men (aged 18-23) living in Poland in regions with different levels of air pollution. The examined population was divided into three groups A, B, and C, based on low, moderate and high air pollution levels, respectively. Spirometry and bodyphletysmography at rest were performed by using of mobile lab PNEUMOBIL. Lung function parameters were analyzed and compared with respect to the level of air pollution. The mean values of the pulmonary function parameters were within the limits in all groups, but we observed statistically significant differences between the groups (lowest mean values in group C and the highest in group A). In all groups we found persons with significant airflow limitation in the central and peripheral bronchi, defined as the decrease of FEV(1) %FVC ratio70 and FEV(1)80 % of predicted value (central bronchi), and FEV(1) %FVC ratio70, FEF(50)70 % predicted (peripheral bronchi). The percentage of persons with airflow limitation in the central bronchi was in group A (0.3 %), B (0.4 %) and C (1.4 %). The incidence of flow limitation in small bronchi was as follows: in group A (1.2 %), B (0.5 %) and C (6.7 %). The majority of factors defining the capacity of lungs as well as the intensity of the airflow showed a negative correlation with the concentrations of the basic air pollution (SO(2), NO(2), PM(10)). Our study showed, for the first time, the influence of air pollution on pulmonary function parameters in healthy non-smoking young men in the Polish population.

According the mass spirometry, every third person over forty years old, suffer from COPD in Poland. Prophylaxis, early detection and proper treatment are necessary for the limitation of group of patients with severe COPD in the future. We analyzed the usage of particular group of medicines and estimated conformability of COPD treatment with actual recommendations.We included 125 subjects--26% women (n = 33), and 74% men (n = 92). Mean age was 62 +/- 10. Current smokers were 46% (n = 58) with mean time of smoking was 28 +/- 14 pack-years, ex-smokers 41% (n = 51), non-smokers 13% (n = 16). We recorded the treatment way and HbCO level in expired air. Spirometry and flow-volume test were provided. We used Statistica program for results statistical analysis.Usually, patients with mild COPD are treated with theophilline (49%), long-acting beta 2-agonists (40%), short-acting beta 2-agonists (35%), inhaled steroids and anticholinergics (24%). In mild-severe and severe form of COPD are used: theophilline (50%), short-acting beta 2-agonists (40%), long-acting beta 2-agonists (27%), inhaled steroids (19%) and anticholinergics (12%). 8.1 subjects with mild, 1.7% with mild-severe and 5.5% with severe COPD are treated with recommended connection of anticholinergic and long-acting beta 2-agonist.Mostly theophilline and short-acting beta 2-agonists are used. Anticholinergics are used too seldom. COPD treatment is insufficient and inconsistent with actual recommendations. Only 1.7 to 5.5% patients are treated with recommended combination of anticholinergic and long-acting beta 2-agonist.