• Maria Auxiliadora Carmo Moreira, Maria Rosedália de Moraes, Daniela Graner Schwartz Tannus Silva, Thayssa Faria Pinheiro, Huber Martins Vasconcelos Júnior, Lanucy Freita de Lima Maia, and Daine Vargas do Couto.
• Pulmonology Department, Federal University of Goiás, School of Medicine. Goiânia, Brazil. helpuol@uol.com.br
• J Bras Pneumol. 2008 Sep 1; 34 (9): 667-74.

ObjectiveTo describe and analyze clinical symptoms and spirometric alterations of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and history of exposure to wood and tobacco smoke.MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated data related to 170 patients distributed into 3 groups: 34 exposed only to wood smoke, 59 patients exposed only to tobacco smoke and 77 patients exposed to both.ResultsThe groups did not differ significantly in terms of age (p = 0.225) or degree of exposure, considering each type of exposure in isolation or in combination (p = 0.164 and p = 0.220, respectively). Females predominated in the group exposed to wood smoke. There were no differences among the groups regarding respiratory symptoms (p > 0.05), and moderate dyspnea predominated in the three groups (p = 0.141). The group exposed to wood smoke presented higher percentages of forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity ratio and of forced expiratory volume in one second (p < 0.05). Positive results on bronchodilator testing occurred more frequently in the group exposed to tobacco smoke. The percentage of severe and extremely severe obstruction was significantly higher in the group exposed to tobacco smoke (44.1%) than in that exposed to wood smoke (11.8%; p = 0.006).ConclusionsRespiratory symptoms and pulmonary function alterations consistent with COPD were observed in the groups of patients exposed to wood smoke. However, those alterations were not as significant as the alterations observed in the groups exposed to tobacco smoke. This study emphasizes the importance of prospective studies in evaluating the risk of wood-smoke-related COPD in Brazil, as well as the need for preventive measures in this area.

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