PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Kaliopi Kontouli
AU  - Elpis Hatziagorou
AU  - Fotis Kirvasislis
AU  - John Tsanakas
TI  - Long term outcome of parapneumonic effusions in children
DP  - 2013 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P4294
VI  - 42
IP  - Suppl 57
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P4294.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P4294.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2013 Sep 01; 42
AB  - Aim: The objective of this study was the evaluation of the long term outcome of the parapneumonic effusion (PPE) in children regarding lung function and exercise tolerance.Method: The design of the study included children with PPE 2 years after the initial infection (group A), hospitalized in 3rd Pulmonary Pediatric Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece between January 1994 and December 2009. A second group of healthy children was used as the control group (group B). All children performed spirometry and a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test on cycle ergometer. Exclusion criteria for both groups were asthma prior to initial infection using the stringent indexes for the predication of asthma.Results: A total of 38 children of group A and 36 of group B were included in the study. Children of group A showed statistically significantly lower values in FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC with no difference in FEF25-75 compared to group B. All children in both groups had no differences in maximal exercise capacity (VO2max). Although VO2peak was similar in both groups, slight differences were observed in ventilatory response to exercise between the two groups. Children with PPE had lower breathing reserve values and higher respiratory equivalent to oxygen (VE/VO2) during exercise compared to healthy subjects.Conclusions: This study showed that there are no clinically significant long term effects on lung function among children with PPE compared to normal.