PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Tita Butenko
AU  - Jasna Rodman
AU  - Malena Aldeco
AU  - Ana Kotnik Pirs
AU  - Uros Krivec
TI  - Epidemiology of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in adolescent athletes with and without asthma in Slovenia
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P3518
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P3518.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P3518.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Background: Asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) are common in highly trained athletes. An accurate evaluation with exercise bronchial provocation testing (EBPT) is necessary to justify specific treatment of EIB or EIB with asthma.Aim: To assess the incidence of EIB, EIB with asthma and vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) in adolescent athletes with dyspnea on exertion in Slovenia.Methods: We performed a two year retrospective chart review of highly trained adolescent athletes with dyspnea on exertion referred to our tertiary centre. Patients' medical history and results of pulmonary function testing (PFT) were evaluated, including % predicted FEV1 (%FEV1), fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), methacholine challenge (MC) and EBPT. EIB was defined as ≥10% fall in %FEV1 from the pre-exercise level. VCD was diagnosed if exercise-induced inspiratory stridor was observed by a physician, or with flexible laryngoscopy during exercise.Results: 40 highly trained athletes (57.5% girls) were reviewed in our centre (mean age 15.5 yrs., SD 2.3). %FEV1 showed normal lung function in all subjects, median FeNO level was 16.4 (IQR 10.7-36.1), 37.5% of athletes who had an MC performed had a positive result. Diagnosis of asthma was made in 25.0% of subjects prior to EBPT. The latter showed EIB in 32.5% and EIB with asthma in 7.5%. VCD was present in 27.5% of all athletes. Finally, 50.0% of athletes had neither EIB nor asthma.Conclusion: Half of the athletes had only subjective symptoms. Our data imply that although mostly negative, EBPT is mandatory in order to avoid overdiagnosed EIB with asthma and subsequent overtreatment.