Home > Possible association between passive smoking and lower exhaled nitric oxide in asthmatic children.

Warke, Timothy J and Mairs, Vivienne and Fitch, Patrick S and Ennis, Madeline and Shields, Michael D (2003) Possible association between passive smoking and lower exhaled nitric oxide in asthmatic children. Archives of Environmental Health, 58, (10), pp. 613-616. DOI:10.3200/AEOH.58.10.613-616.

In adults, both active and passive smoking reduce levels of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO); however, to date, passive exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has not been shown to affect eNO in children. The authors recruited 174 asthmatic children (96 male, 78 female) and 79 nonasthmatic controls (46 male, 33 female) from a group of children aged 5 to 14 yr who attended a children's hospital for an outpatient visit or elective surgery. Each subject's exposure to ETS was ascertained by questionnaire, and their eNO levels were measured. Asthmatic children had higher eNO levels (ppb) than nonasthmatic children (p = 0.04), and asthmatic children exposed to ETS had significantly lower eNO levels than unexposed children (p = 0.005).

Exposure to ETS did not alter eNO levels in nonasthmatic children (p = 0.4). Results of the study suggest that ETS exposure is associated with lower eNO levels among childhood asthmatics. Consequently, ETS exposure may need to be considered when physicians interpret eNO levels in asthmatic children. Further study of the effects of ETS on eNO levels is recommended.


Item Type
Article
Publication Type
Irish-related, Article
Drug Type
Tobacco / Nicotine
Date
2003
Identification #
DOI:10.3200/AEOH.58.10.613-616
Page Range
pp. 613-616
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Volume
58
Number
10
EndNote
Accession Number
HRB (Not in collection)
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