Effect of passive smoking on bronchial reactivity in asthmatic patients

Abstract EN

The effect of passive cigarette smoke exposure on the bronchial reactivity of 10 asthmatic patients was studied and compared with (10) apparently healthy people as control.

Measurements of vital capacity (VF) and forced expiratory volume in one minute (FEVi) and pulmonary flow-volume curve (PF, FEF75, FEF5o,FEF25) were obtained before and after 30 minutes exposure to side-stream smoke in a simulated tobacco combustion chamber.

Post exposure values were significantly reduced (p< 0.05) in all variables which were more pronounced in asthmatic patient compared with control.

FVC and FEVi reduced by 22.5% and 27.9% respectively.

Air flow in mid (FEF 50) and end (FEF25) airways was reduced by 32.5% and 45.8 % receptively such findings clearly demonstrated the serious effect an the ventillatory function of the asthmatic patients exposed to a side-stream smoke in a relatively closed environment