Demographic, laboratory and clinical characterisation of adult portuguese asthmatic patients
Autor: | Lourenço, Olga, Fonseca, A. M., Barata, Luis Taborda |
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Přispěvatelé: | uBibliorum |
Jazyk: | angličtina |
Rok vydání: | 2007 |
Předmět: |
Adult
Male Rural Population Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine Allergy Pediatrics medicine.medical_specialty Rhinitis Allergic Perennial Urban Population Immunology Drug allergy Population Immunoglobulin E immune system diseases Respiratory Hypersensitivity medicine Prevalence Humans Immunology and Allergy Outpatient clinic Urban Rural education Sensitization Asthma education.field_of_study Portugal biology business.industry General Medicine Airway obstruction Allergens medicine.disease respiratory tract diseases medicine.anatomical_structure biology.protein Female Disease Susceptibility business Human |
Zdroj: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC)-FCT-Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
Popis: | Background Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory condition characterised by reversible airway obstruction and hyperresponsiveness associated with underlying bronchial inflammation and structural changes. It represents an increasing health problem and is a huge burden on the patients, their families and society. The aim of the study was to characterise the adult asthmatic population attending a Hospital Allergy Clinic between the years of 2003 and 2006. Methods Clinical files from the Allergy Outpatient Clinic of Cova da Beira Hospital were sequentially studied. The total population analysed included 335 female and 130 male asthmatic patients. Bronchial asthma was characterised by clinical history, skin prick testing to aeroallergens, determination of total and specific IgE and lung function testing, and classified according to international guidelines. Results Of the patients studied, 70 % had allergic asthma, and 30 % had non-allergic asthma. When compared to allergic asthma, non-allergic asthma was more frequently associated with older age, perennial symptoms and female gender. More allergic than non-allergic asthma patients also had rhinitis and the reverse was true regarding drug allergy and oesophageal reflux. Grass pollen and mites were the major sensitisers for allergic asthmatics. The sensitization profile was significantly different between urban- and rural-based asthmatic patients regarding tree pollen, fungi and moulds. Conclusions In this population, rhinitis was more frequently associated with allergic than with non-allergic asthma. The two types of asthma did not differ in clinical severity or changes in lung function. Sensitisation profiles were different between the urban and rural patients. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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