Therapeutic efficacy of pelotherapy and naftalan applications in patients with slowly resolving pneumonia

Abstract

Clinical, laboratory, functional, and radiological examination of 82 patients with slowly resolving pneumonia was performed. The average age of the patients was 42.0 ± 2.4 yrs, 34 (41.5 %) were males and 48 (58.5 %) were females. The patients were randomly divided into 3 comparative groups: the 1st and the 2^nd groups received pelotherapy and naftalan, respectively, in combination with medications for relief of symptoms and physiotherapy. The 3^rd group (control) patients received medications for relief of symptoms and physiotherapy. Implementation of these methods in treatment of patients with slowly resolving pneumonia could promote regress of residual inflammation, considerably shorten length of the disease, reduce medication load and need in healthcare resources that, in turn, could reduce healthcare expenditures for treatment of such patients. Clinical results were confirmed by short- and long- term results of morphologic and blood biochemical investigations, microscopic examination of sputum, lung function testing, immunological, bronchoscopic and radiological data, investigations of physical capacity and quality of life.