title: Acoustic rhinometry, rhinomanometry and spirometry of the asthmatics patients with rhinitis symptoms before and after oral corticoid.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma and rhinitis frequently co-exist in the same patient. It may exist a specific condition witch affects the general respiratory activity and also able to produce symptoms into upper and/ or lower airways.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the alteration and functional burst of upper and lower airways before and after oral corticoid.
  
  
  METHODS
  From July of 2000 to August of 2002, sixteen (69 % was female ), acute asthmatics patients with rhinitis symptom assisted in the pneumology department, were analyzed through cross-sectional study using: symptoms questionnaire, physical examination, radiogram, spirometry, acoustic rhinometry, and rhinomanometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen patients presented compromising symptoms of the upper airways. In the spirometry, FEV1, FEV1/FVC e FEF25-75%, presented major statistically differences. The acoustic rhinometry presented important statistical differences in the minimal cross- sectional area 1 e 2 in the left side and total nasal volume, after medicine intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The functional evaluations upon lower and upper airways, improvements in FEV1, FEV1/FVC e FEF25-75%, were observed through spirometry and total nasal volume, analyzing the acoustic rhinometry after oral corticoid.
authors.affiliation: Doutor em Ciências pela UNIFESP/Escola Paulista de Medicina-Brasil, Rua Demétrio Ribeiro, 106, Apt 715. Cep 88020-700 - Florianópolis -SC - Brasil. dorivaldoduarte@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Dorivaldo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Manuel Lopes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: dos Santos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D025363:Rhinomanometry; D023842:Rhinometry, Acoustic; D013147:Spirometry
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011241:Prednisone