Asthma monitoring and lung function in children with physician-diagnosed asthma

Abstract

Background: Childhood asthma is the most common chronic lung disease of childhood that requires monitoring including lung function test. This study aimed to evaluate the lung function and the monitoring strategies of children with physician-diagnosed asthma. Methods: Children aged 6 to 18 years attending the respiratory clinic with physician-diagnosed asthma were studied. Clinical status and asthma monitoring strategies were obtained followed by spirometry. The tools used for monitoring asthma included symptom diary, peak expiratory flow meter, exacerbations, and use of rescue bronchodilator in the past 1 year. Results: There were 45 children aged between 6 and 18 years with 29 (64.4%) females and 16 (35.6%) males. There was no seasonal variation in the development of symptoms and most of the parents and siblings had no allergic conditions. Nearly all children did not use monitoring tools; none of them kept a symptom diary and only one (2.2%) and three (6.7%) had an action plan and peak flow meter, respectively. Only one (2.2%) had a history of being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Thirty-three (73.3%) patients had identifiable triggers (single or multiple) with cold being the most common. Eleven (24.4%) patients had the need to use a rescue bronchodilator in the past 12 months. Thirteen (28.9%) patients had an abnormal spirometric pattern and the most common being the obstructive type. Conclusion: The majority of the children had no asthma monitoring tools and a third of them had an abnormal spirometric pattern with the obstructive type being the most common.