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Scope on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Upper Egypt

Egyptian Journal of Bronchology volume 9, pages 154–159 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Clinical features of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are not the same in all patients and are characterized by being nonspecific. Symptoms range from nothing at all to severe disabling dyspnea.

Aim

To explore the demographic, clinical and physiological characteristics of IPF patients attending the outpatient clinic at El-Minia and Assiut University Hospitals to see whether they match with or differ from the common features of the disease known worldwide.

Patients and methods

One hundred-twenty six patients diagnosed as IPF underwent detailed history taking, clinical examination, spirometery, oxygen saturation and trans-thoracic echocardiography.

Results

About 43% of patients developed IPF before age of 50 and the mean age at time of diagnosis was 48.6 ± 12.9 years. Eighty four (66.7%) patients were males. Ninety (71.4%) patients had significant tobacco smoke exposure. Dyspnea was present in 120 (95.2%) patients and the majority had grade 3 and 4 dyspnea. Ninety-five percentage of patients had cough. Clubbing of fingers was present in 72 (57.1%). All patients had bilateral basal crepitation. The mean of FVC was 52.5 ± 15.2% while the mean O2 saturation was 91.9 ± 4.8%. One third of patients (33.3%) had corpulmonal and those have significantly longer duration of illness and significantly lower FVC and O2 saturation (P < 0.001 for each).

Conclusion

In our locality IPF patients had younger age of presentation while other demographic, clinical and physiological features were more or less similar to those recorded worldwide.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chest, Faculty of Medicine, El-Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt

    Nizar Rifaat

  2. Chest Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut University, Assiut, 71111, Egypt

    Ali A. Hasan MD

Authors
  1. Nizar Rifaat
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  2. Ali A. Hasan MD
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Correspondence to Ali A. Hasan MD.

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Rifaat, N., Hasan, A.A. Scope on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Upper Egypt. Egypt J Bronchol 9, 154–159 (2015). https://doi.org/10.4103/1687-8426.158053

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/1687-8426.158053

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