Respiratory Effects of Exposure to Diesel Traffic in Persons with Asthma

Air pollution from road traffic is a serious health hazard, and people with preexisting respiratory disease may be at increased risk. Epidemiologic evidence associates the degree of traffic exposure with lung function in asthma.

Air pollution from road traffic is a serious health hazard, and particulates from diesel exhaust have become cause for increasing concern. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated associations between ambient particulate matter and respiratory-associated morbidity; these effects may be greater among persons with preexisting respiratory disease, including asthma.

Childhood Asthma After Bacterial Colonization of the Airway in Neonates

Background Pathological features of the airway in young children with severe recurrent wheeze suggest an association between bacterial colonization and the initiating events of early asthma.

Neonates colonized in the hypopharyngeal region with S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, or M. catarrhalis, or with a combination of these organisms, are at increased risk for recurrent wheeze and asthma early in life.

N ENG J MED 357;15