Erlang Samoedro, Faisal Yunus, Budhi Antariksa, Fariz Nurwidya
Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of , Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
DOI: 10.4103/0976-9668.198353

Abstract

Background: The increasing prevalence of drug user in Indonesia is affecting the health sectors. The lungs health were affected by the use of the illicit drug. However, lung function among drug users is still unclear. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study involves 144 drug users who met the inclusion criteria. Chest X-ray was performed to identify the subject with pulmonary tuberculosis to exclude from the study. Subjects were then undergone spirometry test and interviewed using questionnaires. Results: One hundred and forty-four subjects were included in this study. One hundred and twenty-one (84.03%) were male and 128 subjects showed normal lung function. Proportion of abnormal spirometry was 10.4% (n = 15). The restriction was found in ten subjects, and obstruction was found in four subjects. There was significant correlation between the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) and age (P = 0.000; r = −0.454, moderate correlation), time of using cannabis (P = 0.01; r = −0.345, weak correlation), time of using methamphetamine inhalation (P = 0.004; r = −0.25, weak correlation), duration of using heroin injection (P = 0.025; r = −0.337, weak correlation), time of using cigarette (P = 0.000; r = −0.365, weak correlation), and the amount of cigarette consumption/day (P = 0.04; r = −0.238, weak correlation). Conclusion: This study found that there was a weak correlation between declined FEV1/FVC with a time of smoking, the amount of cigarette consume per day, time of cannabis inhalation, time of methamphetamine inhalation, and time of heroin injection.

Keywords: Cannabis, drug abuse, heroin, lung function, methamphetamine.