Application of an Asthma Screening Questionnaire in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Hematology
• Clinical Screening Tools

Background:

• Asthma in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients is linked to increased illness and death.
• Early diagnosis and treatment of asthma in SCD can improve patient outcomes.
• The effectiveness of asthma screening questionnaires in SCD children has not been previously assessed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of a validated asthma screening questionnaire for identifying obstructive airway disease and physician-diagnosed asthma in children with SCD.
• To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the questionnaire in this specific population.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 41 children with SCD was conducted during routine outpatient clinic visits.
• Participants completed a previously validated asthma screening questionnaire.
• Spirometry was performed concurrently to assess lung function.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of obstructive airway disease was 51.2%, and physician-diagnosed asthma was 33.3%.
• The questionnaire showed poor sensitivity (40%) and specificity (75%) for detecting obstructive airway disease.
• However, the questionnaire demonstrated high sensitivity (77%), specificity (100%), positive predictive value (100%), and negative predictive value (90%) for identifying physician-diagnosed asthma.

Conclusions:

• An asthma screening questionnaire can be a valuable tool for identifying children with SCD who may have asthma and require further management.
• The questionnaire is particularly useful for detecting physician-diagnosed asthma in this population.
• Further research may refine screening strategies for obstructive airway disease in SCD.