Peak expiratory flow rate in different stages of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis

ABSTRACT

Peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR] was studied in 200 patients with different stages of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. They were 67.5% males and 32.5% females, their mean age was 45 +/- 7.1 years. Controls comprised 150 [64% males and 36% females] apparently healthy subjects with a mean age of 44 +/- 8.3 years. Reduction in PEFR was found to be nonsignificant [P >0.05] in patients with hepatomegaly, significant in hepatosplenomegaly [P <0.05] and highly significant [P <0.001] in those with splenomegaly and ascites in comparison with either their predicted values or controls. It was also observed that, as hepatosplenic schistosomiasis advances the degree of reduction in PEFR becomes significantly more marked. Accordingly, PEFR can be used as a mean for early detection and assessment of pulmonary involvement in this disease