Effect of passive smoking on pulmonary functions in children

ABSTRACT

The effect of passive smoking on static lung volume, flow rates and arterial blood gases [ABG] have been studied in 50 healthy children whose age ranged between 5-10 years and the results were compared with those of 20 controls. Subjective reaction to cigarette smoke inhalation included 405 suffered from eye irritation and lacrimation, 22% from sneezing and cough and 30% of headache and dizziness. In passive smoker children, FVC, FFV1, MVV and FER 25-75 were 80.4%, 79.45, 79.8 and 80.7% of their predicted values respectively compared to 97.1, 96.3, 97.29 and 95.9% for the controls. The differences were statistically significant [P<0.001]. Meanwhile the mean values of T.V. FEV1/FVC% and FER 200-1200 for passive smoker were 436.8, 84.5% and 129.2 L/min respectively compared to 435.5 ml. 91.7% and 145.8 L/min for controls. The differences were statistically insignificant. Classification of children into male and female revealed that there were statistically significant difference in pulmonary function tests between male, female passive smoker and the corresponding male, female controls. Meanwhile. Passive smoker female showed lower values for FER 25-75 and FER 200- 1200 than those of male passive smoker. The differences were statistically significant. ABG analysis were within the normal range and demonstrated no significant difference between the two groups. So this cross sectional study offers evidence that passive smoking constitutes a real threat to respiratory systems of our children