Les pathologies respiratoires de l’environnement intérieur

[Medical indoor environment counsellor (MIEC) in Burgundy: evaluation by physicians and patients]

Since December 2009, chest physicians and allergologists in Burgundy have been able to call upon a medical indoor environment counsellor (MIEC). The consultations are free for the patient and are undertaken following a medical referal after systematic cutaneous prick tests.

AIMS

To describe the indications, the distribution of prescriptions and to measure the impact of the counsellor's visits on the first 100 patients at 6 months and on the physicians at 18 months.

METHOD

Telephone interviews with the 67 physicians (whether prescribers or not) concerning their motivation and/or expectations, and with the first 100 patients concerning follow up of the recommendations.

RESULTS

Seventy percent of the physicians replied (n=47). The satisfaction of prescribers (n=22) was 8.42/10. The indications were rhinitis and a poorly controlled asthma. The requests concerned the search for dust mite (50%) and moulds (46%). Eighty-four percent of the physicians discussed the MIEC's report with the patients. The patients' symptoms were rhinitis (79%), asthma (57%) and conjunctivitis (33%). The Acarex test(®), performed in cases of positive prick tests to house dust mites (n=72), was strongly positive for 67 patients. Sixteen mould samples out of 21 were above the standard concentrations. Sixty-nine patients had followed the recommendations of the MIEC.

CONCLUSION

The impact of the MIEC visits was perceived as positive by the physicians and the patients. The medico-economic impact warrants further evaluation.

Solid fuel smoke exposure and risk of obstructive airways disease

This study was designed to investigate whether there is an association between Obstructive Airways Disease (OAD) and indoor exposure to baking home-made bread smoke (BHBS) in ground oven at home. In this hospital-based case-control study, 83 patients with OAD (cases) were compared with 72 patients without any known pulmonary diseases from the surgical ward (controls) who were frequently matched with cases on age. The interview was performed using the modified questionnaire recommended by the "American Thoracic Society". The questionnaire comprised of demographic information, occupational history, cigarette smoking and indoor exposure to BHBS in ground oven at home. The exposure to BHBS was considered both as a dichotomous and quantitative variable (number of years being exposed to smoke) and the population attributable fraction (PAF) was estimated due to BHBS exposure. The percentage of indoor exposure to BHBS was measured as 51.8% and 30.6% in the cases and the controls, respectively. The average years of exposure to BHBS was 20.46 years (SD: 11.60) for the cases and 15.38 years (SD: 13.20) for the controls. The univariate analysis comparing the cases and the controls showed that exposure to BHBS (as a binary variable) and occupational exposure to dust was significantly associated with OAD. In the multivariate model, only exposure to BHBS was associated with OAD (OR=2.22, 95%CI = 1.14-4.35). Duration of exposure to BHBS (as a quantitative variable) was significantly associated with OAD in the univariate model. In the multivariate model, only the duration of exposure to BHBS (years) showed a significant association with OAD (OR=1.04, 95% CI=1.01-1.08). Population attributable risk due to BHBS exposure was equal to 28.5%.