• Sónia Isabel Silva Guerra, Jorge Marques Vale, and Rui Dias Nunes.
• Pulmonology Department, Hospital Centre of Tondela-Viseu, Viseu, Portugal.
• Intern Med J. 2022 Dec 1; 52 (12): 213021352130-2135.

BackgroundHospital environment is generally propitious to smoking cessation for several reasons, such as a legal ban on smoking in hospital facilities, greater vulnerability facing acute illness and the continuous contact with healthcare professionals.AimsTo evaluate the effectiveness of intensive smoking cessation intervention during hospital admission due to acute respiratory disease and a 6-month follow up after hospital discharge.MethodsThis prospective study included patients admitted at our Pulmonology Department due to acute respiratory disease - active smokers who consented to participate in smoking cessation counselling programme - between January and December 2019. After hospital discharge, the patients completed a 6-month follow up. Statistical analysis was performed with spss system version 24.0, using univariate analysis with Chi-squared and t-test.ResultsWe included 30 patients, 86.7% male, with a mean age of 58.6 ± 13.6 years. The mean length of stay was 10 ± 11 days. The mean smoking time was 40.3 ± 14.4 years and the mean smoking load 40 ± 26 pack-year units. The mean level of nicotine dependence, measured by the Fagerström test, was 4.3 ± 2.8. None of the patients accepted smoking cessation pharmacological therapy. After hospital discharge, 19 patients were seen in consultation, 11 of whom maintained smoking cessation at 6 months, determining an overall smoking cessation rate of 36.7%. There was a statistically significant difference in the smoking cessation successful group regarding the motivation to quit smoking and the Richmond test compared to the unsuccessful group.ConclusionSmoking cessation counselling behaviour programmes during hospitalisation, with regular follow up after hospital discharge, contribute to an increase in smoking cessation rate.© 2021 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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