The Three Greatest Moments In Bio Fire History
The BIOFIRE System and Your Immune System
The BIOFIRE System offers syndromic testing for infectious diseases, allowing healthcare professionals to select the right test first time. Patients benefit from faster diagnoses and more targeted treatments. Clinicians benefit from better stewardship of antibiotics. Labs save money and gain efficiency.
The BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia plus panel (PN panel) tests native sputum, endotracheal aspirate, and bronchoalveolar lavage specimens (including mini-BAL) for 33 pathogens that are clinically relevant and antimicrobial resistance genes. The panel provides semiquantitative results in about an hour.
Respiratory
The burning of biomass, including wood, plants and other organic materials produces gaseous pollution and fine particles that negatively affect the respiratory system. Furthermore, the environmental issues caused by forest fires, like droughts, may be potentiated by climate change, which can increase the negative effects on the health of humans.
In the United States wildfire smoke is linked to hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases like asthma, COPD, and lung cancer. This kind of pollution to the air also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and is a major contributor to the burden on disease among the most vulnerable populations.
In the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of communities were exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution due to wildfires. However the response of public health officials to this environmental problem has been sporadic and mostly focused on communicating regarding symptom management. This knowledge gap is alarming considering the evidence that smoking cigarettes and other causes of poor quality air can cause health problems.
Researchers are now looking at the best way to safeguard public's health in the event of future events of this kind. NIH invests in research on this crucial public health issue through the BLUE CORAL and FIRE CORAL studies.
For the first time, a prospective cohort study will examine long-term effects resulting from exposure to smoke from wildfires as well as other sources. FIRE CORAL is a study that see ks adult participants who are hospitalized for COVID-19 index episode and who speak English or Spanish however, they are not pregnant. The Fire Coral protocol includes a variety of assessments in person that objectively measure the pulmonary function testing, lung imaging and functional assessment.
The lungs are the most sensitive to the effects of smoke and other particles since they can trigger or worsen chronic respiratory conditions such as emphysema, asthma and COPD and increase the risk of developing pneumonia. A number of steps can be taken to avoid or lessen the negative health effects resulting from exposures to smoke, such as avoiding outdoor activities when possible and using the EPA's "N95" mask designed to trap fine particles.
Smoke can also cause irritation to the throat and eyes, and lead to a runny nose. To help reduce symptoms, drink lots of water, and take medicines that help reduce inflammation, like corticosteroids.
Bloodstream
Bloodstream is the first line of defense against germs that enter your system. Dendritic cells, which are special cells, act as a call center your fire department. They are able to collect antigens from germs and release proteins that alert other white cells to fight off them. Circulating total white blood cells, differentials, and band cells were boosted following firefighters' fire-fighting shifts, and compared to levels following physical exertion with no firefighting.
Skin
Dermatologists were concerned that the smoke and ash from the California wildfires could have an adverse effect on the skin of those who were exposed to them. Maria Wei, a graduate student at the University of California, Irvine is studying how severe wildfire pollution affects the skin. Her research was published on April 22, 2012 in Scientific Reports.
Wei's research has shown that the temperature of the skin changes depending on the length of time that the body is exposed to flames. It can take as long as two hours for the skin of an individual to reach its "flash point"--the moment at which it starts to burn and then turns into ash. It is important to avoid staying close to a fire or campfire, and you should always wear protective clothing if going outside during a hot or humid day.
While it's important to be aware of the dangers of wildfire-related pollution, there's no way to stop forest fires from happening. Wei is predicting that the number of people suffering the effects of wildfires will grow as climate change causes more forests to be burned. This means that more people will have to wear hats, long sleeves, and thick moisturizers.
It's also worth noting that atopic dermis (itchy skin) that many people suffer from can be exacerbated by wildfire air pollution. She suggests that this is due to the particles in smoke can block pores, which makes the atopic dermatitis condition worse.
Another issue is the fact that atopic dermatitis tends to make people more sensitive to UV light, which can be aggravated by wildfire smoke. This can cause people to be more likely to visit tanning salons, and could cause them to tan with less protection than they should.
A treatment with ice and fire can help reduce atopic skin conditions however it is not recommended for anyone with an open wound or rash. Those who suffer from acne are advised to avoid it If you're pregnant or breastfeeding it's best to steer clear of this treatment completely. The IS Clinical Fire & Ice Facial located at Novuskin Las Vegas' premier membership MedSpa is a result-driven, intensive facial that bridges between a mild facelift and a peel, with no any downtime. It's designed to rejuvenate skin, improve rosacea, reduce acne scarring and fine lines and stimulate cellular regeneration. This is a great treatment to give your skin a radiant glow.
Infections
The human body is made up of a complex system of organs and tissues which work together to defend us from infections. Infections can be caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites that infect healthy cells and cause them to multiply uncontrollably. Your immune system can react by exhibiting symptoms of illness. The symptoms could range from a swollen or achy nose to stomach upset however, they may also include a fever high, swollen glands, and an eruption. The severity of your symptoms may be affected by the type of infection, its location and even your temperature.
Infections can spread in a variety of ways, but the most common are transmitted from person to person by droppings that hang in the air after coughing or sneezing. Bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis, strep throat, meningococcal disease and Legionnaires' disease are spread this way, along with some viral infections like the common cold and influenza. Certain infections caused by bacteria, such as skin infections and sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) such as gonorrhea and chlamydia are transmitted by direct contact with infected tissue or mucous membranes or by indirect contact with contaminated surfaces. Certain infections caused by bacteria are transmitted by insects such as ticks, fleas or mosquitoes.
Infections, parasites, and other microorganisms are small enough to be able to get into your bloodstream to infect your cells. This can result in serious illnesses such as the common cold or AIDS. Fungi are responsible for a myriad of skin conditions such as ringworm, athlete's foot, while some affect the lungs or the nervous system, like the rabies virus.
The BioFire Panel employs our revolutionary FilmArray Technology to test the bronchoalveolar and sputum samples to provide a complete list of pathogens involved in upper respiratory infections. The kit comes with a reagent pouch that stores all the necessary chemistry to perform reverse transcription PCR, multiplex nested analysis and detection with a single device. It's a simple solution to help clinicians syndromicly identify and treat patients with a variety of respiratory symptoms. This test has been issued an Emergency Use Authorization. It's available in bioMerieux CLIA medium and high complexity labs.