[One-year follow up results of Smoking Cessation Outpatient Clinic]

Abstract

In this study we investigated the five-year-results of our smoking cessation outpatient clinic retrospectively. Out of 839 subjects admitted to our clinic during this time period 634 of them completed the one-year follow up period. 318 (50.2%) of these subjects were male and 316 (49.8%) of them were female. Subjects were divided into two groups. While one group received nicotine patch therapy, education and motivation the other group received just education and motivation. Mean age was 43.5 +/- 12 years. Nicotine patch therapy administered to 297 subjects and smoking cessation rates in this group were 46.8% at 15th day and 33.6% at the end of first year. The other group had smoking cessation rates of 11.8% at 15th day and 10.9% at the end of one year. Out of 185 subjects who did not smoke at the end of 15th day 98 of them were also not smoking at the end of one year. 449 subjects were smoking at the end of 15th day and just 26 (5.7%) of them gave up smoking at the end of first year. Therapy compliance was 82.2% at the 15th day and 23.2% at 12th week. Most frequent side effects were local skin reactions (13.8%) due to nicotine patches, irritability and nervousness (8.5%) and concentration difficulties (7.4%). In this retrospective analysis we concluded that nicotine replacement therapy in conjunction with education and motivation may be an effective method for helping individuals in giving up smoking. We also observed that smoking situation in first 15 days is a good predictor of long-term success.