PECULIARITIES OF FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IN COMBINATION WITH GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE ACCORDING TO BODY PLETHISMOGRAPHY DATA
To evaluate the parameters of the function of external respiration in patients with bronchial asthma in combination with gastroesophageal reflux disease according to body plethysmography data. Materials and methods. The anamnestic, clinical and instrumental data of 78 patients with bronchial asthma (BA) were analyzed. Depending on the presence of comorbid pathology, the patients were divided into two groups: 1<sup>st</sup> - patients with a combination of BA and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (n = 40), 2<sup>nd</sup> - patients with BA without GERD (n = 38). The control group consisted of 26 people (13 men and 13 women) without pathology of the bronchopulmonary system and gastrointestinal tract. To assess the presence and severity of ventilation disorders, the function of external respiration was studied by bodyplethysmography using the «MasterScreen» spirometry system («Viasys HelthCare GmbH», Germany). Results. According to bodyplethysmography, there was a significant decrease in the average maximum vital capacity of the lungs in the 1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> groups compared with the results obtained in the control group. At the same time, there were no significant differences between the group of patients with a combination of BA and GERD and the group of patients with BA without concomitant GERD. The airway resistance index in the 1<sup>st</sup> group was significantly higher than in the 2<sup>nd</sup> one. At the same time, the average value of this indicator in the group of comorbid patients with a combination of BA and GERD exceeded similar data in the control group by 3.4 times. In patients with a combination of BA and GERD, there was a significant increase in residual lung volume and functional residual lung capacity compared with patients with BA without concomitant GERD. The average values of the indicator of residual lung volume were: in the 1<sup>st</sup> group - 168.1 ± 7.7 % of the predicted value, in the 2<sup>nd</sup> group - 134.5 ± 6.8 %, in the control group - 99.6 ± 3, 5 %; the average values of functional residual lung capacity were 138.5 ± 5.6 %, 116.5 ± 5.2 % and 100.5 ± 3.8 %, respectively. Significant differences between groups 1 and 2 were also obtained in terms of total lung capacity (p = 0.014). Its average value in patients with a combination of BA and GERD was 121.7 ± 2.4 % of the predicted value, in patients with BA without concomitant GERD - 111.6 ± 2.5 %, in those examined from the control group - 104.8 ± 2,3 %. Conclusions. According to the data obtained during bodyplethysmography, patients with BA in combination with GERD had more pronounced obstructive changes compared to patients with BA without concomitant GERD. Also, in patients with this comorbid pathology, airway resistance indicators were significantly increased compared to patients with BA without concomitant GERD. Based on the detection of statistically significant differences between the 1st and 2nd comparison groups, the method of body plethysmography should be considered as a necessary stage in a comprehensive examination of comorbid patients with a combination of BA and GERD.