Aim: To study the disease control via pulmonary function test with usage of bronchodilators in bronchial asthma patients.
Setting and design: Prospective cohort study done at Asthma clinic, Dept of pediatrics, BJ medical college, Ahmedabad.
Materials and Methods: Patients enrolled in this study were from asthma clinic BJ medical college and Civil hospital. Pulmonary
function test was done on total of 91 known asthma patients. Here three parameter of lung function is taken in to account. Percentage
OD FEV1 of predicted, FEV1:FVC Ratio and PEFR , its effect on bronchodilators on PEFR.
Results: Out of 91 patients, 72 (79.25%) patients had almost normal pulmonary function. Only 1 patient had severe restriction
of pulmonary function and 18 patients had moderate restriction of lung function. All patients shows improvement in PEFR more
than 20% after bronchodilators therapy which is suggestive of reversible air flow limitation.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder associated with
airway hyper responsiveness that leads to recurrent episodes of
wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing in night or
in the early morning. These episodes are usually associated with
wide spread, but variable, airflow obstruction within the lung
that is often reversible either spontaneously or with treatment.
Spirometry helpful in clinically diagnosis of asthma is in doubt,
improvement in FEV more than 12 % after inhaled short acting
bronchodilators establishes the diagnosis of asthma, FEV1/FVC
ratio less than 0.80 suggestive of significant airflow obstruction.
Exercise challenge, worsening in FEV > 15% suggestive of exercise
induced asthma.
Pulmonary Function test is done in total 91 patients. Hence
three parameters of lung function are taken in to account.
i. % of FEV1 of predicted
ii. FEV1:FVC Ratio
iii. PEFR and effects of bronchodilators on PEFR
Out of 91 patients, 72 (79.2%) patients had almost normal
pulmonary function. Only 1 patient had severe restriction of
pulmonary function and 18 patients had moderate restriction of lung function. All patients shows improvement in PEFR more than
20% after bronchodilators therapy which is suggestive of reversible
air flow limitation.