PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Manuel Ferreira-Magalhães
AU  - Ana Sá-Sousa
AU  - Mário Morais-Almeida
AU  - Luis Azevedo
AU  - Antόnio Bugalho-Almeida
AU  - João A. Fonseca
TI  - Prevalence and control of current asthma in Portuguese paediatric population
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p4254
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4254.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4254.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Objective: To estimate the prevalence and control of asthma-like symptoms in children in the general Portuguese population.Methods: Nationwide, two-phase, list-assisted random-digit-dialling telephone survey (Portuguese National Asthma Survey). The first phase questionnaire was based on the GA2LEN survey. Current asthma was defined as self-reported asthma and, in the last 12 months, wheezing and/or awaking with breathlessness and/or having an asthma attack. Participants identified as having “current asthma” in first-phase were re-interviewed. In addition, other children with asthma living in the same residence were also interviewed.Results: Of the 6,003 participants in the first-phase, 716 were children (0-17 years old); 143 (20.0%) had wheezing in the last 12 months, 240 (33.5%) awaked with cough or breathlessness in the last 12 months and 89 (12.4%) had an asthma diagnosis in the past.The prevalence of “current asthma” in Portuguese paediatric population was 8.4% (95%CI 6.6-10.7); in 0-5 years old (y) was 6.5%, in 6-12y was 9.7% and in 13-17y was 8.7%.In the second phase, 96 children with “current asthma” were included. In the last 4 weeks, 20 (22%) had night waking and 14 (15%) had symptoms more than twice a week. In the previous 12 months, 24 (25%) had a non-scheduled medical visit, 37 (39%) went to ER and 5 (5%) were hospitalized for asthma. In the last 4 weeks, 39% used inhaled corticosteroids (21% together with LABA); 30% used leukotriene receptor antagonists.Conclusions: Current asthma prevalence in Portuguese children is less than 10%. Most children seem to have a good short-term control of asthma, but many had ER visits and also hospitalizations related to asthma in the last 12 months.