Woolcock A J, Dowse G K, Temple K, Stanley H, Alpers M P, Turner K J
Eur J Respir Dis. 1983 Nov;64(8):571-81.
We studied the prevalence of asthma in a population of the South Fore linguistic group of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, where a remarkable increase in the disease has been reported in the last decade. To make the study as objective as possible it was necessary to define the disease and to develop tests of bronchial reactivity for use in the field. Asthma was defined as symptoms of intermittent breathlessness plus bronchial hyperreactivity measured by a histamine inhalation test (HIT) or response to bronchodilator aerosol. Following a demographic study to define the symptomatic people in the population, all people with present or past breathlessness had a detailed history taken, their bronchial response measured with a HIT or with bronchodilator aerosol, and skin prick tests performed. Asthma was estimated to be present in at least 7.3% of the adult population and in 0.6% of children. The exact prevalence could not be determined because of difficulties in distinguishing asthma from chronic obstructive lung disease in patients with severe airflow limitation. In most subjects the asthma was severe and associated with allergy to house-dust mite. Control subjects matched for age, sex and village, who had no symptoms, had normal bronchial reactivity. The HIT, together with a history of breathlessness, may prove to be the simplest and most objective method for determining the prevalence of asthma in different populations.
我们对巴布亚新几内亚东部高地省南福尔语族人群中的哮喘患病率进行了研究，据报道，在过去十年中该疾病的发病率显著上升。为了使研究尽可能客观，有必要对该疾病进行定义，并开发用于实地的支气管反应性测试。哮喘被定义为间歇性呼吸急促症状加上通过组胺吸入试验（HIT）测量的支气管高反应性或对支气管扩张气雾剂的反应。在进行人口统计学研究以确定该人群中有症状的人之后，所有目前或过去有呼吸急促症状的人都进行了详细的病史采集，用HIT或支气管扩张气雾剂测量他们的支气管反应，并进行皮肤点刺试验。据估计，哮喘在至少7.3%的成年人口和0.6%的儿童中存在。由于在严重气流受限的患者中难以将哮喘与慢性阻塞性肺疾病区分开来，因此无法确定确切的患病率。在大多数受试者中，哮喘病情严重且与对屋尘螨过敏有关。年龄、性别和村庄相匹配且无症状的对照受试者支气管反应性正常。HIT连同呼吸急促病史可能被证明是确定不同人群中哮喘患病率的最简单、最客观的方法。
