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Published on: August 24, 2019
Persistent pulmonary function impairment in children and adolescents with asthma
Fernanda Luisi1, Leonardo Araujo Pinto, Laura Marostica
1Programa de Pós-Graduação em Pediatria e Saúde da Criança, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Summary
A small percentage of children with asthma show persistent lung function impairment despite treatment. These cases are often linked to moderate-to-severe asthma and atopy, requiring further study in developing nations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Allergy and Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children, marked by bronchial inflammation.
- Persistent pulmonary function impairment affects some children with asthma, with unknown prevalence and causes in developing countries.
- Understanding treatment-resistant asthma in pediatric populations is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the proportion of pediatric asthma patients unresponsive to treatment.
- To describe the characteristics of children with persistent pulmonary function impairment.
- To investigate the role of atopy and asthma severity in treatment resistance.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 96 children and adolescents (5-17 years) with persistent asthma was studied.
- Spirometry and skin prick tests for aeroallergens were performed.
- Persistent impairment was defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio < 0.80 post-treatment.
Main Results:
- 8.3% of patients exhibited impaired pulmonary function post-treatment.
- All patients with impairment were atopic (100%).
- Impaired function was associated with moderate/severe asthma (87.5%) and prior hospitalization for bronchiolitis (87.5%).
Conclusions:
- Children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe asthma can experience treatment-resistant pulmonary function impairment.
- This condition is understudied in developing countries.
- Birth cohort studies are recommended to elucidate risk factors and etiology.
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