ABSTRACT
Background: Majority of women living in rural areas use biomass fuels for production of domestic energy. Biomass fuels are an enormous source of indoor pollution when burned in closed space with no ventilation. Combustion products have deleterious effect on lung functions. Aim: To Study the effect of biomass smoke on respiratory symptoms and lung functions in rural non-smoking Indian woman. Materials and Methods: A comparative study was conducted among women visiting hospital ›18 years of age belonging to rural areas of Bareilly, to study the effect of biomass smoke on respiratory symptoms and lung functions. The study group comprised of 100 subjects who were exposed to biomass smoke and 100 aged matched subjects who were not exposed to biomass served as controls. A standardized respiratory questionnaire was administered to all subjects and pulmonary function tests were evaluated by MIR SPIROLAB 3. Results: The lung functions (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR) were significantly lesser in the study group, exposed to biomass fuel than the controls. Conclusion: Women cooking with biomass fuels have increased respiratory symptoms and have marked reduction in lung functions compared with those cooking with gas.
ABSTRACT
Clubbing of the nails is a bulbous uniform thickening of the soft tissues of the terminal phalanx of a digit with subsequent loss of the normal angle between the nail and nailbed. It may be primary (hereditary or idiopathic) or secondary to disorders of the multiple organ systems. A male, aged 45 years, detected to be a case of idiopathic digital clubbing, noticed by the individual during early adolescence, is presented herewith.