Association of allergic rhinitis and asthma in Khartoum State - Sudan

ABSTRACT

A cross-sectional study was carried out in the departments of Physiology, National Ribat University and Ahfad University for Women between January and August 2004. to investigate the asociation of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma in Sudanese patients and to Study the pattern of Pulmonary Function Tests [PFT] and Skin Prick Tests [SPT] hypersensitivity in Allergic Rhinitis and Asthmatic patients. Seventy three patients, 18 - 65 years of age, both sexes [40 females and 33 males] suffering from Allergic Rhinitis and /Asthma or both and forty control [26 females and 14 males] without any nasal pathology were included in the study. The forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow rate and forced expiratory volume in first second were measured and skin prick tests for common allergens were performed. The data obtained, SPT and PFT results were analyzed and paired sample t-test was used for comparison of PFT [reversibility test] of AR with and without asthma patients and control. It was found that twenty five percent of the total AR patients have asthma where 88% of the asthmatics also have AR, but there was no significant increase in the bronchial reversibility in AR patients compared to asthmatics and control for both FEV1 [P = .069] and PEFR [P = .500]. The study showed a clear association of allergic rhinitis and asthma and PFT didn't show hypersensitivity in allergic rhinitis non-asthmatic patients