Hypnosis for smoking cessation sees stro...(is and were given tapes to play at the e...),Health

At 26 weeks after discharge, 50 percent of patients treated with hypnotherapy alone were nonsmokers, compared with 50 percent in the NRT/hypnotherapy group, 25 percent in the control group, and 15.78 percent in the NRT group. Patients admitted with a cardiac diagnosis were more likely to quit smoking at 26 weeks (45.5 percent) than patients admitted with a pulmonary diagnosis (15.63 percent).

Patients admitted with coronary symptoms may have experienced fear and doom and decided to alter a major health risk to their disease when approached about smoking cessation, said Dr. Hasan. In contrast, pulmonary patients admitted for another exacerbation may not have felt the same threat. They likely felt they can live for another day and continue the smoking habit.

The researchers note that hospitalization is an important opportunity to intervene among patients who smoke.

Doctors and other health personnel should use this occasion to firmly recommend smoking cessation and emphasize the impact of smoking on their disease process and hospital admission, said Dr. Hasan. Pulmonologists, in particular, should make a stronger case and more passionate message to their patients, and efforts should be coordinated with counseling.

As physicians, we are constantly reviewing new approaches for smoking cessation and revisiting existing approaches to confirm their effectiveness, said Alvin V. Thomas, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. The results of this study and many others confirm that using a multimodality approach to smoking cessation is optimal for success.

'/>"/>