Source: Annual Congress 2002 - Assessment of lung function, telemonitoring and quality of life
Disease area: Airway diseases

Abstract

Introduction: We studied the impact of schizophrenia on the performance of spirometry in elderly patients.
Material:Chronic schizophrenics without kinetic disorders, residing in a hostel. 17 patients (7 male, 10 female), aged 60-80 were studied. 17 consecutive elderly (10 male, 7 female) discharged from a department of pulmonary medicine, served as controls. No significant difference was observed between the two groups as regards age (70,05±]2,4vs 70,4±]3,1, t-test, p<0,05). All patients had a mini-mental status examination > 23. Application of the positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia scale revealed that positive symptoms predominated in 5 and negative symptoms in 13 psychotics. Performance was judged on the basis of ATS recommendations.
Results: 2 schizophrenics had optimal performance (three reproducible efforts meeting ATS criteria) and 7 performed suboptimally (at least two reproducible efforts, that did not meet all ATS criteria, yet provided useful information). 10 patients were unable to perform spirometry. The controls, with optimal performance in 12 patients and 1 unable to perform fared significantly better (x², p=0,009). The difference in performance between patients with positive and negative symptoms did not reach significance (x², p=0,054). No significant difference was observed between patients with positive symptoms and controls(x², p=0,47). Patients with negative symptoms differed significantly from controls (x², p=0,0003).
Conclusion: Elderly schizophrenics have a suboptimal performance in spirometry compared with the non-psychotic elderly. Predominance of negative symptoms may be a predictor of poor performance.

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Citations should be made in the following way:
N. K. Markou, M. Katsikas, B. Psalida, N. Gionakis, M. Kanakaki, A. Damianos (Athens, Greece). Spirometry performance in elderly psychotics. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 994

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