Eosinophilic bronchitis
Eosinophilic bronchitis is a chronic dry cough, defined by the presence of an increased number of a type of white blood cell known as eosinophils. It has a normal finding on X-ray and has no airflow limitation. Protracted bacterial bronchitis
Protracted bacterial bronchitis in children, is defined as a chronic productive cough with a positive bronchoalveolar lavage that resolves with antibiotics. Protracted bacterial bronchitis is usually caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, non-typable Haemophilus influenzae, or Moraxella catarrhalis. Protracted bacterial bronchitis (lasting more than 4 weeks) in children may be helped by antibiotics. Plastic bronchitis
Plastic bronchitis is a rarely found condition in which thickened secretions plug the bronchi. The plugs are rubbery or plastic-feeling (thus the name). The light-colored plugs take the branching shape of the bronchi that they fill, and are known as bronchial casts. When these casts are coughed up, they are firmer in texture from typical phlegm or the short, softer mucus plugs seen in some people with asthma. However, some people with asthma have larger, firmer, and more complex plugs. These differ from the casts seen in people whose plastic bronchitis is associated with congenital heart disease or lymphatic vessel abnormalities mainly because eosinophils and Charcot–Leyden crystals are present in the asthma-associated casts but not in the others.Casts obstruct the airflow, and can result in the overinflation of the opposite lung. Plastic bronchitis usually occurs in children. Some cases may result from abnormalities in the lymphatic vessels. Advanced cases may show imaging similarities to bronchiectasis.
Contraindications
It the European Union it must not be used in pregnant or breast-feeding women. Use during pregnancy is not recommended in the US. History
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended approval of bempedoic acid/ezetimibe (Nustendi) in the EU in January 2020.Bempedoic acid/ezetimibe was approved in the United States in February 2020, and in the European Union in March 2020.Two studies showed that bempedoic acid and ezetimibe effectively reduced LDL cholesterol levels in participants with hypercholesterolemia and heart disease or who were at high risk of heart disease. High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.The first study involved 382 participants also taking the maximum tolerated doses of statins. After three months, LDL cholesterol levels were reduced by 36% in participants taking bempedoic acid and ezetimibe compared with a reduction of 23% with ezetimibe alone, 17% with bempedoic acid alone and an increase of around 2% with placebo (a dummy treatment).The second study involved 269 participants with high cholesterol levels who were not able to take a statin or were taking a low dose of a statin. All the participants were also taking ezetimibe. After three months, LDL cholesterol levels were reduced by 23% in participants taking bempedoic acid in addition to ezetimibe compared with an increase of around 5% in participants taking placebo and ezetimibe. References
External links
"Bempedoic acid". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Ezetimibe". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine.