Abstract
Bronchiectasis is the permanent dilation of the bronchial airway. Posttuberculosis bronchiectasis syndrome occurs with the healing of extensive and destructive tuberculosis. The frequency of this association is 15-20%. The smoking – active TB association has a 45-85% frequency rate.
Material and methods: We assessed 53 patients with idiopathic bronchiectasis, with a mean age of 52.2 (± 12.8) and another 37 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae, mean age of 48.4 (± 16.6). We compared the share of smokers in the two categories.
Results: In the group of idiopathic bronchiectasis patients, the fraction of smokers was 60.52%, with a 32.1±17.9 PA index; in the group of patients with bronchiectasis secondary to tuberculosis, the fraction of smokers was 71.42%, with a 30.2 (± 11) PA index.
Conclusions: The number of smokers among posttuberculosis bronchiectasis patients was higher, although the PA index was lower than in idiopathic bronchiectasis patients. The high smoking rate in patients with idiopathic bronchiectasis, as well as the PA index was surprising. I believe the high smoking rate in patients suffering from the posttuberculosis bronchiectasis syndrome was due to their poor socio-economic conditions, which also explains a lower PA index, as well as to the need of implementing health education programs for these categories.
- © 2011 ERS