Study of pharmacotherapy role in smoking cessation giving an insight into the frequency of smoking among Zagazig University Hospitals’ staff in 2013

Background“Smoking is the main avoidable cause of death around the world”. It’s prevalence is about one billion smokers in the global adult population. “The most cost effective and well-documented methods for smoking cessation are professional advice combined with the nicotine replacement therapy”. So the main aim of hospital staff must be to give advices about smoking cessation and the ways to it. The aim of this work was to study the pharmacotherapy role in smoking cessation giving an insight into the frequency of smoking among Zagazig University Hospitals’ staff in 2013.Subjects and methodsThis epidemiological, observational and prospective study was carried out at Zagazig University Hospitals from the period January 2013 to December 2013.Subjects150 of those current smokers agreed to answer the study questionnaire and share in this study. The included subjects were 144 males and 6 females with a mean age of 39.48 ± 11.95 years.MethodsThe studied subjects were subjected to the following: (1) personal history including: smoking history and family history, (2) routine investigations and (3) plain X-ray. The studied subjects (150) were divided into 2 groups according to their agreement for taking pharmacotherapy: group I: included 111 subjects treated by behavioral therapy alone for 3 months. Group II: included 39 subjects treated by behavioral therapy plus pharmacotherapy (Bupropion SR tablet) for 3 months.ResultsA statistically highly significant percentage of subjects who did previous trial of quitting was found in group II than that in group I. Also, there was a statistically highly significant percentage of subjects who are less nicotine dependent in group II than that in group I, but the reverse was present in highly nicotine dependent subjects according to Fagerstrom score. The final outcome of quitting trial with a successful cessation rate was 48%, while the failed cessation rate was 52% and there was a statistically significant higher successful rate in group II (69.3%) than that in group I (40.5%). As regards occupation, the physicians had statistically highly significant higher levels of successful rate than para-medicals who had high levels of failed cessation rate. A statistically highly significant increase in the percentage of other smoker family member was found in failed cessation group than that in successful cessation one. Regarding Fagerstrom score, there were statistically significant increases in percentage of subjects who were less nicotine dependent in successful cessation group than that in failed cessation one and also in percentage of subjects who were highly nicotine dependent in failed cessation group than that in successful one.Conclusion(1) Programs promoting smoking cessation including behavioral therapy in addition to the complementary role of pharmacotherapy (Bubropion SR) enhanced the chance of success in smoking cessation. (2) This pilot study (regarding the number of the studied individuals) pointed to the smoking dilemma in a locality where smoking behavior should be brought to a minimum especially among physicians.