Abstract
Background: Differentiating early asthma exacerbations from viral wheezing episodes and future asthmatic children from transient wheezers is difficult in young children.
Asthma predictive index (API) is a useful tool to detect children who are likely to become asthmatic later in life by putting emphasis on the atopic status.
The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that increased severity of acute wheezing episodes in young children can be used as a predictor for atopic status and also for predicting a future asthmatic child.
Method: A retrospective study was conducted including 83 boys with recurrent wheezing aged <3 years, with no risk factor for severe wheezing episodes besides atopy, admitted in our hospital between 2011-2012 for an acute wheezing episode. Boys were assigned in 2 distinctive groups according to severity score value (Bronchiolitis respiratory score, Liu, 2004). First group (severity score<10) included 44 boys and the second group (severity score>10) included 39 boys. Prevalence of positive API was determined for each group.
Results: Prevalence of positive API in the first group was 27,27% (12 boys) and in the second group 28,21% (11 boys). The difference between the 2 prevalences is not statistically significant (p=1).
Conclusion: In young children acute wheezing episodes with increased severity cannot be considered predictors for atopic status and for future asthma.
- © 2013 ERS