TO STUDY THE ORAL MANIFESTATIONS IN ASTHMATIC PATIENTS USING CORTICOSTEROID INHALERS

Dr. Taranpreet Kaur*, Dr. Swati Dahiya and Dr. Ankit Srivastava

ABSTRACT

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. Corticosteroid inhalers are the main – stay therapeutic agents for the management of bronchial asthma. Aims & Objectives: The aims and objectives of this study are to study the oral health status in patients using inhalation corticosteroid therapy and to assess the oral candidal count in these patients. Material and methods: This study will comprise of 30 asthmatic patients using inhaled corticosteroid therapy as study group and 30 outpatient healthy volunteers as control group. A detailed oral examination will be carried out and findings will be recorded on a specially prepared proforma. The samples will be collected using oral rinse technique and inoculated on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar medium for isolation of candida. Candidal colony count/ml will be determined and data will be statistically analyzed. Results: An increase in mean DMFT index and Russel’s Periodontal index was found in asthmatic group as compared to controls. A statistically significant increase in CFU / ml of saliva of Candida albicans was found in study group as compared to controls. Conclusion: Assessment of local adverse effects of inhaled corticosteroids could provide a greater understanding of the extent and severity of these effects and could aid in determining the risk-benefit ratio of their use in clinical practice.

Keywords: Asthma; Corticosteroids; Inhalation therapy; Oral cavity.