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Poor perception of dyspnoea in children with undiagnosed asthma

R van Gent1, L E M van Essen-Zandvliet, M M Rovers

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Máxima Medical Center, 5500 MB, Veldhoven, The Netherlands. R.vanGent@mmc.nl

The European Respiratory Journal
|July 27, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Children with undiagnosed asthma perceive shortness of breath less intensely than those with diagnosed asthma, even with similar airway hyperresponsiveness. This highlights differences in dyspnoea perception in pediatric asthma.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children.
  • Accurate assessment of asthma symptoms, including dyspnoea, is crucial for effective management.
  • Differences in dyspnoea perception between diagnosed and undiagnosed pediatric asthma populations are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare the perception of dyspnoea in children with undiagnosed versus diagnosed asthma.
  • To analyze the relationship between bronchial hyperresponsiveness and dyspnoea perception in these groups.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional community-based study involving 1,758 children.
  • Parental questionnaires for respiratory health, airway reversibility, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) testing.
  • Dyspnoea perception assessed using Borg and Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) in children with positive BHR.

Main Results:

  • 70 children had undiagnosed asthma and 38 had diagnosed asthma.
  • Children with undiagnosed asthma exhibited less steep Borg and VAS slopes compared to diagnosed asthma patients.
  • Undiagnosed asthma patients with BHR reported a worse perception of dyspnoea than diagnosed asthma patients.

Conclusions:

  • Children with undiagnosed asthma may have a blunted perception of dyspnoea compared to those with diagnosed asthma, despite similar BHR.
  • These findings suggest potential differences in how children with undiagnosed asthma experience and report respiratory symptoms.
  • Further research is warranted to understand the clinical implications of these perceptual differences in pediatric asthma management.

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