[Asthma and the environment in the Lagunera district]. / Asma y medio ambiente en la Comarca Lagunera.

AIMS: The characteristics and real dimension of the environmental problems are frequently unknown. These results in a poor knowledge about health impact and deficient planning of the measures required for their protection. Asthma is a prior health problem at Comarca Lagunera. OBJECTIVE: The analysis of environment characteristics that could affect its presentation is the objective of this paper. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We took information form several official bureaus and regional records. It identified that the coexistence of some factors, like regional weather characteristics, with extreme temperature and frequent dust storm, growing deforest, dominant flora and acute and chronic contamination by particulates material, mainly at urban areas, could explain the epidemiological profile of the disease in this urban area so an interdisciplinary participation is required for solving this problem. RESULTS: In the Comarca Lagunera, several factors coexist which precipitate symptoms in asthmatic subjects: climatological features which favor the inflammatory process and increase susceptibility to respiratory tract infections which can set off asthmatic crises. CONCLUSION: The epidemiological behavior os asthma in this regions may be associated with its climatological characteristics.

Is the histamine skin test inhibited by prednisone?

BACKGROUND: A clinical trial was carried out to determine whether therapeutic doses of prednisone could inhibit the response to the histamine skin test. METHODS: Forty-five male and female asthmatic and allergic patients participated in the study, their ages ranged from 6-14 years old (16 girls and 29 boys). The clinical trial was random, double-blind, and placebo-controlled. METHODS: Three treatment groups were formed and patients were assigned randomly to them. Groups A and B received prednisone at 0.5 and 1 mg/kg/day, respectively, whereas group C received a placebo (p.o.). All treatments lasted for 10 days. The histamine test was applied on the first, fifth and tenth days of treatment, and the size of the wheal and the extension of the flare were evaluated 5 min after the application of the test. The statistical tool used was ANOVA, since the study sought to see the difference among the treatment groups, after including 45 patients in three groups of 15 patients each. RESULTS: No significant statistical difference was observed among the groups using an ANOVA test. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the response to the histamine test was not modified by a 10-day treatment with prednisone at doses of 0.5 mg/kg/day and 1 mg/kg/day.