Are Questionnaires Helpful To Predict Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction (EIB) And Exercise-Induced Laryngeal...

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Diagnostic Tools
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Exercise induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) is often misdiagnosed as exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) due to limited availability of continuous laryngoscopy while exercising (CLE).
• Accurate preselection of EILO candidates is crucial for timely diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Dyspnea Index (DI) can differentiate between EIB and EILO.
• To assess the utility of these questionnaires in identifying patients for CLE.

Main Methods:

• Patients with exercise-induced dyspnea underwent an exercise challenge in a cold chamber (ECC) for EIB diagnosis.
• Continuous laryngoscopy while exercising (CLE) was performed in a subset of patients.
• Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Dyspnea Index (DI) were administered at two visits.

Main Results:

• The ACT showed lower values in EILO patients compared to EIB patients at the second visit.
• A lack of ACT improvement after asthma medication in EIB patients suggested co-existing EILO.
• The DI showed higher values in EILO patients at the first visit, with a score >=30 predicting a positive CLE.

Conclusions:

• The ACT and DI are valuable tools for preselecting candidates for CLE.
• These questionnaires can improve diagnostic timeliness despite limitations in CLE availability.