Bronchodilator Response in Airflow Obstruction after Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis- A Retrospective Analysis

Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) is a risk factor for the development of Obstructive Ventilatory Disorder (OVD). Evaluation of the response to the bronchodilator in patients with OVD, as the exclusive consequence of the PTB sequel, has not been studied. Aim: To evaluate response of Bronchodilators (BD) in patients treated for PTB with airflow obstruction and without any previous pulmonary diseases or smoking history. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of data (n=60) was done from February 2014 to February 2015, from a previous multicentric study that used 378 participants. There were data of 60 patients without any previous pulmonary diseases, smoking history, and with OVD or OVD with reduced Forced Vital Capacity (FVC). The participants performed spirometry under BD. The BD response was considered positive when an increase in Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (FEV1) and/or FVC ≥12% was observed (as a percentage of change from baseline) and ≥200 mL (in absolute values) after administering salbutamol. To verify association between variables and response to BD, the Fisher-Exact Test was performed (p≤0.05 were considered statistically significant). The variables were analysed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: Of the 59/60 patients that underwent spirometry before and after the use of BD, 13/59 (22.03%) presented a positive response. Among those, 7/59 (11.87%) had FEV1 response, 5/59 (8.47%) FVC response and 1/59 (1.69%) presented a simultaneous response in FEV1 and FVC. Association between socio-demographic, clinical and radiological variables and BD response were not significant. Conclusion: The response to BD was observed in a quarter of patients with OVD, due to a likely structural change caused by Tuberculosis (TB).