Background: Sweeping of streets, a poor man's occupation is a simple and humble job. Street sweeping with short handled brooms without precautionary measures affect the respiratory system. Aims & Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess the pulmonary functions and also the relationship between the duration of exposure to dust and lung function parameters in female sweepers. Materials and Methods: Thirty female sweepers and thirty healthy females were included in this study. The subjects were matched for age, height and weight. The pulmonary function test was performed by using computerized RMS medspiror and results were compared by students unpaired 't' test. The overall mean pulmonary function data were also correlated with the duration of exposure using linear regression. Results: The study showed a statistically significant reduction in FVC, FEV1, PEFR, FEF25-75% and FEF200-1200 and this impairment was increased with duration of exposure to dust in sweepers. Conclusion: Our study showed a positive relationship between the extent of exposure to street dust and decreasing lung function. It is suggested that protective measures, such as long brooms and appropriate respiratory protective equip¬ment, should be provided to workers engaged in sweeping; the workers should undergo periodic spirometry tests.

No abstract

Medical literature is home to fancy descriptions, poetic metaphors, and ingenious comparisons. However, some comparisons can disguise the knowledge gap. Large surfaces in the human body, like the alveolar surface for gas exchange, villi for food absorption, and the endothelial lining of blood vessels, are frequently compared to a "tennis court."This narrative review explores this metaphor in detail, the discrepancies and factual inaccuracies across medical literature. It highlights the inappropriate use of Euclidean geometry and introduces fractal geometry, a language to define roughness.

Background: Many physiological adaptations occur during pregnancy. One such is changes in the respiratory functions and response to exercise. Many studies have been conducted on changes in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) in pregnancy, but there are only few studies reporting the effect of exercise on PEFR in pregnant women. Aims and Objectives:To study the effect of exercise on PEFR in pregnant women. Materials and Methods: PEFR was measured in 50 pregnant women in their second trimester of pregnancy in comparison with nonpregnant women (controls). PEFR was measured twice. The first reading was taken at rest and the second after moderate exercise, in the form of walking on a treadmill for 6 min at 12% slope. It was measured using RMS Medspiror. Results: The mean age of the pregnant women was 23.1 ± 2.7 years and that of the controls was 24.3 ± 2.4 years. The mean height was 1.51 ± 0.05 m in pregnant women and 1.51 ± 0.04 m in controls. In pregnant women, PEFR at rest was lower than that in nonpregnant women. The difference was found to be statistically significant. After exercise, the PEFR decreased in both pregnant and nonpregnant women. The percentage of decrease did not change significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: We conclude that although resting PEFR in pregnant women is less, there is not much difference in the response to exercise between the two groups. Thus, pregnant women can be encouraged to exercise regularly.

No abstract