Prevalence of Asthma-like Symptoms in Subjects with Chronic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.

, Shin, Hyung Ik; , Lee, Bum Suk; , Park, Heung Woo; , Jeong, Yong Seol

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine 2007;31(5):529-534.

Shin, Hyung Ik , Lee, Bum Suk , Park, Heung Woo , Jeong, Yong Seol

¹Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
²Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Rehabilitation Center, Korea.
³Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
⁴Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyung-Hee University College of Medicine, Korea. aa6635@hanmail.net

만성 경수 손상 환자에서 천식양 증상의 유병률

신형익, 이범석¹, 박흥우², 정용설³

서울대학교 의과대학 재활의학교실, ¹국립재활병원 재활의학과, ²서울대학교 의과대학 내과학교실, ³경희대학교 의과대학 재활의학교실

Abstract

Objective
To evaluate clinical relevance of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in subjects with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) by investigating the prevalence of asthma-like symptoms.
Method
Two hundred twelve patients with SCI responded to the modified questionnaire of International Study of Asthma and Allergic disease in Children (ISSAC). Among them, 28 patients underwent a methacholine bronchial provocation test to measure AHR.
Results
The prevalence of AHR was significantly higher in subject with chronic cervical SCI compared with that in subjects with chronic thoracic or lumbar SCI (73.3% vs. 23.1%, p=0.023). In tetraplegics, the prevalence of wheezing during last 12 months, post-exercise wheezing, sleep disturbance due to nocturnal cough or wheezing, and dust-induced breathlessness were 40.0%, 37.8%, 33.3%, and 31.1% respectively, which were significantly higher than paraplegics and general population in Korea (p＜0.05, p=0.001, 0.013, 0.002, 0.004 respectively).
Conclusion
AHR in subjects with chronic cervical SCI might be a cause of symptomatic airway disturbances such as wheezing, cough, and breathlessness. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2007; 31: 529-534)

Key Words: Spinal cord injury, Airway hyperresponsiveness, Asthma