There is a correlation between cigarette smoking and two lung diseases, a lecturing physician said here Wednesday.
Dr. John B. Bobear, assistant professor of medicine, Louisiana State university school of medicine, said he based his statement on observations.
He was one of the Jeeturers Wednesday in a short course in cardiac nursing, being sponsored by the Louisiana Heart Association and the LSU department of nursing.
"Almost every patient we see with primary bronchogenic cancer of the lung or pulmonary emphysema is generally an individual who has smoked for a long time," Dr. Bobear said,
SMOKING BLAMED Pulmonary emphysema, he said, is chronic bronchitis due to cigar* ette smoking.
Smoke, automobile exhaust fumes, and other irritants can cause these diseases, he said, but added: "There is no more direct way of absorbing an irritant than smoking." He said he has spent 10 years in medicine interested in diseases of the lungs.
Persons affected more than others are middle-aged men, Dr. Bobear said.
Pipe and cigar smokers are safer because they puff and seldom inhale, he said.
TESTS' VALUE TOLD In his lecture, Dr. Bobear told of the value of clinical pulmonary function tests in the practice of medicine.
They aid in the diagnosis of various types of lung disorders and give a doctor objective data to differentiate between bronchial asthma and pulmonary emphysema.
Among the other advantages are (1) evaluation of the effect of drugs and (2) guides to tell the thoracic surgeon how much tissue to remove, he said.
The course will continue Thursday and Friday. Thursday morning, three physicians will discuss open heart surgery.
Thursday afternoon, there will be a class on the recovery room nurse's role in the post-operative care of a patient following such surgery.
