RESUMEN
AIM: The current study examined symptoms of irritation reported by non-smokers passively exposed to e-cigarette aerosols and their timing and association with the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced. METHODS: 40 healthy non-smoking adults were exposed to e-cigarette aerosols for 30â¯min in a 35â¯m3 room. Second-hand e-cigarette aerosol (SHA) was produced by an experienced e-cigarette user using a standardized topography and two resistance settings (exposure 0.5 Ohm and 1.5 Ohm), in addition to a control session (no emissions). PM2.5 and PM1.0 were continuously measured over the duration of exposure, while Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) were recorded at 0, 15 and 30â¯min (t0, t15 and t30) of exposure. Each participant completed an irritation questionnaire at t0, t15, t30 of exposure and t60 (30â¯min post-exposure) on ocular, nasal, throat-respiratory symptoms of irritation and general complaints. Kruskal-Wallis H test for PM comparisons, repeated measures ANOVA for VOCs and Generalized Estimating Equations for symptoms of irritation and association with VOCs were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 20 males and 20 females, with a mean age of 24.6 years (SDâ¯=â¯4.3) and exhaled COâ¯<â¯7â¯ppm participated. PM concentrations in both experimental sessions were higher than the Control (pâ¯<â¯0.001). The most commonly reported symptoms were burning, dryness, sore throat, cough, breathlessness and headache. During both experimental sessions, ocular, nasal, throat-respiratory symptoms and general complaints increased significantly (pâ¯<â¯0.05). Ocular and nasal symptoms returned to baseline by t60 (pâ¯>â¯0.05) while throat-respiratory symptoms were still significantly higher at t60 (pâ¯=â¯0.044). VOCs were significantly associated with reported nasal and throat-respiratory symptoms in both experimental sessions (pâ¯<â¯0.05). CONCLUSION: A 30-min exposure to SHA provoked symptoms of sensory irritation and general complaints that lasted up to 30â¯min after the exposure and were positively associated with the concentrations of the VOC mixture emitted.
Asunto(s)
Contaminantes Atmosféricos , Sistemas Electrónicos de Liberación de Nicotina , Contaminación por Humo de Tabaco , Compuestos Orgánicos Volátiles , Adulto , Aerosoles , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , No Fumadores , Compuestos Orgánicos Volátiles/análisis , Compuestos Orgánicos Volátiles/toxicidad , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Maternal smoking constitutes a significant risk to the fetus and is associated with multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes. Despite this, an estimated 6-19% of women in Europe smoke during pregnancy. We conducted a pilot study to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of the clinical practice recommendations of the 2017 Tobacco Cessation Guidelines for High-Risk Groups (TOB-G) for pregnant and postpartum women in an outpatient obstetrics setting. METHODS: The guideline recommendations were tested on a sample of 67 pregnant women recruited from obstetrics outpatient visits. Pregnant women who smoked received three behavioural counselling sessions through a combination of face-toface and telephone consultations by a midwife trained in the TOBG tobacco treatment recommendations. Smoking status was assessed at 1 month and at 6 months follow-up via self-report. RESULTS: Seventy-one per cent of pregnant smokers screened agreed to participate in the counselling intervention. Pregnant women participants (mean age, M=31.73 years, SD±6.09) smoked for an average of 12.2 (SD±6.55) years. Women reported smoking an average of 4.82 (SD±4.14) cigarettes per day with 51% reporting smoking within 30 minutes of waking, an indicator of higher levels of nicotine addiction. Rates of smoking abstinence among pregnant women undergoing the counselling intervention were 43.9% and 45.6% at the 1 month and at 6 months follow-up, respectively. Replacing those participants with missing data as smokers, the quit rates were 26.9% and 38.8% at the 1 month and 6 months follow-up, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The counselling intervention delivered to pregnant women who smoke was feasible to implement in a manner that was consistent with the TOB-G guideline recommendations in an outpatient obstetrics setting. Future work should focus on increasing uptake of evidence-based tobacco treatment recommendations in outpatient obstetrics settings.