ISSN: 2471-9315
Arcot Dheenadayalu Nageswari
Tagore Medical College and Hospital, India
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Appli Microbiol Open Access
Exposure to pollutants emitted from combustion of biomass fuel during cooking still remains a major global threat to public health, particularly among women living in under developed countries., Objectives: To assess the clinical and functional impairment on pulmonary function in non-smoking women using biomass fuel for cooking and its correlation with biomass index. 100 women with history of exposure to biomass smoke who met the inclusion criteria and willing to take part in the study were enrolled. Data on demographics, biomass fuel used, respiratory symptoms and spirometry findings were recorded. The severity of dyspnea and functional impairment (assessed by spirometry) had a statistically significant correlation with biomass index with a P value of 0.04 and 0.004 respectively. Cow dung use had more respiratory impairment when compared with other biomass fuels. Biomass exposure does have significant effects on lung function. Protective health measures in the form of improving stove designs, ventilation, switching over to clean energy sources such as LPG/ solar energy should be adopted.
Arcot Dheenadayalu Nageswari is a Postgraduate in Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. She was trained by Central Govt. of India in TB Control. She has the prestigious Fellowship award by WHO in TB control Training at Japan and Korea 1993. She has published 20 papers in Indexed national and international journals.
E-mail: natchasum@gmail.com