CLINICAL-FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OF AIRWAY RESPONSE TO INHALATION WITH HYPERTONIC SOLUTION IN PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA
To define clinical-functional features of formation of airway response to hyperosmotic stimulus, 89 patients with asthma (56 women and 33 men) were examined. The protocol of the study included a detailed interview, objective examination of the patients to specify the severity of the disease and the features of its course, questioning to assess clinical signs of airway response to physical exercises and ecological stimuli, the study of the lung function by spirometry, and bronchial challenge test with hypertonic solution by inhalation with 4.5% solution of NaCl. From the whole number of examined patients 48% patients have exaggerated airway response to hyposmolar stimulus which at bronchial challenge test with hypertonic solution is revealed through intensive clinical symptoms: shortness of breath and attack-like cough with sputum. In 80% of cases these patients have a high sensitivity of bronchi to climatic factors such as low temperature of the air and its high humidity, which worsens the course of asthma.