[Exercise-induced airway obstruction in asthmatic children and adolescents]

In 115 asymptomatic asthmatic children and adolescents (age 6-18 years) there was studied the magnitude of airway obstruction, induced by various physical efforts and assessed from the recording of maximum expiratory flow-volume curves and in some patients by "specific" airway conductance measurement in a body plethysmograph. The effects of 5 minutes free running outdoors, 5 minutes of exercise on a bicycle ergometer (2 watts/kg of body weight), routine swimming training in swimming pool and of forced expiration maneuver on the magnitude of airway obstruction were assessed. The most frequent and largest degree of airway obstruction was observed after 5 min. free running outdoors (heart rate after running 160-200/min). The obstruction was revealed in 80-100% asthmatics in various groups. The chosen lung function parameters showed exercise-induced airway obstruction in the same patients in various proportions as well as the magnitude of the obstruction. Following free running outdoors the values of maximum expiratory flow at 25% of vital capacity and "specific" airway conductance were most reduced. Spontaneous retreat of obstruction was observed in the course of 2 hours. The physical exercise on a bicycle ergometer was a small stimulus in inducing of airway obstruction. The swimming in a pool did not provoke any obstruction. In 10% of our asthmatics airway obstruction was observed following forced expiration maneuver. Airway obstruction induced by 5 minutes free running outdoors and assessed best by flow-volume curves appeared as a suitable test in the assessment of airway hyperresponsiveness.