الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Introduction: Asthma is a multi factorial disease that has been associated with familial, infection, environmental, socioeconomic and psychological causes. Greater Cairo area is a big city that is a rapidly expanding. The air pollution in Cairo is a matter of serious concern. Greater Cairo’s volatile aromatic hydrocarbon levels are higher than many other similar cities. Patients and Methods: Pulmonary Function tests spirometery was conducted on 415 Egyptian Asthmatic patients living in greater Cairo Area. They were divided into two groups according to areas where con¬centrations suspended chest particulates exceed 300 µg/m3 for more or less than 25 hours per year in 2006 AD into group A and group B respectively. Results showed that there is a definitive decrease in Pulmonary Function test of asthmatic children living in polluted areas than those living in less polluted areas within the greater Cairo region the difference was statistically Significant. Correlation of the levels of pollution and the measured pulmonary functions of the percent predicted values was significant negative relation. Conclusion: The study concluded that there is a definitive decrease in Pulmonary Function test of asthmatic children living in polluted areas in the greater Cairo region than those living in non polluted areas within the greater Cairo region. Further Studies are needed to take in consideration the monitoring of air quality in the greater Cairo and their association (correlation) with the number of attacks in these asthmatic children. We suggest a multi-center study must be conducted over a period of time to monitor and study the asthmatic patient in the greater Cairo area and its association with air pollution. Words Asthmatic children- Greater Cairo – Air Pollution - Spirometery – Pulmonary Function Tests |