الفهرس 
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF PEDIATRIC ASTHMAOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 171 |  |  |
| | | from | 171 | | |
Abstract
Asthma is the most common chronic illness of childhood. It is a major global public health problem, Asthma affects an estimated 300 million individuals worldwide. Evidence shows that the prevalence of asthma is increasing, especially in children.
Exhaled carbon monoxide can be considered as a surrogate marker of airway inflammation in bronchial asthma. The current study measured the level of exhaled carbon monoxide as a new inflammatory marker in different grades and control of asthma(clinically and spirometric pulmonary function) and the response to ICS treatment.
This work was conducted on 102 children who were divided as follow: 52 children w asthmatic ere receiving inhaled corticosteroids (ICS); 30 of them were controlled and 22 uncontrolled (moderate –sever persistant asthma) and fifty (50) steroid –naïve children were uncontrolled and they were moderate persistant asthma. Fifty (50) age and sex matched- clinically healthy children were included as negative control.
All studied patients were subjected to the following:
Full medical history, thorough clinical examination, Spirometric pulmonary function testing using MIR Spirobank apparatus to assess FEV1, FVC, FEV1/ FVC, PEEF and CO ANALYSIS using CO analyzer (Pico+).
Then collected data were reviewed, coded, and entered PC where statistical analysis was done using SPSS (statistical package for social science) version XI which revealed that:
There was a statistically significant difference between both all asthmatic (controlled and uncontrolled) and healthy control group as regards CO level, being higher among asthmatic children
There was a statistical significant difference between exhaled carbon monoxid in different grades among patients receiving ICS.
There was negative significant correlations between CO level & {FEV1, FEV1\FVC & PEEF} in asthmatic patients.
In conclusion: inspite of pulmonary function tests and clinical classification used as a gold standard for grading of asthma, eCO can be considered as a new relatively non invasive marker for assessment different grade of asthma severity and control. Moreover, eCO can be used to assess response to ICS before stepping up or down.