Asthma predictive index as a useful diagnostic tool in preschool children: A cross-sectional study in Korea

Dong Hyeon Lee, Ji Won Kwon, Hyung Young Kim, Ju Hee Seo, Hyo Bin Kim, So Yeon Lee, Gwang Cheon Jang, Dae Jin Song, Woo Kyung Kim, Young Ho Jung, Soo Jong Hong, Jung Yeon Shim

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    7 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Background: It is challenging to diagnose asthma in preschool children. The asthma predictive index (API) has been used to predict asthma and decide whether to initiate treatment in preschool children. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the association between questionnaire-based current asthma with API, pulmo-nary function, airway hyperreactivity (AHR), fractional expira-tory nitric oxide (FeNO), and atopic sensitization in preschool children. Methods: We performed a population-based cross-sectional study in 916 preschool children aged 4–6 years. We defined current asthma as the presence of both physician-diagnosed asthma and at least one wheezing episode within the previous 12 months using a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. Clinical and laboratory parameters were compared between groups according to the presence of current asthma. Results: The prevalence of current asthma was 3.9% in the study population. Children with current asthma showed a higher rate of positive bronchodilator response and loose and stringent API scores than children without current asthma. The stringent API was associated with current asthma with 72.2% sensitivity and 82.0% specificity. The diagnostic accuracy of the stringent API for current asthma was 0.771. However, no intergroup differences in spirometry results, methacholine provocation test results, FeNO level, or atopic sensitization rate were observed. Conclusion: The questionnaire-based diagnosis of current asthma is associated with API, but not with spirometry, AHR, FeNO, or atopic sensitization in preschool children.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)104-109
    Number of pages6
    JournalKorean Journal of Pediatrics
    Volume63
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2020 Mar

    Keywords

    • Allergy
    • Asthma
    • Diagnosis
    • Preschool child
    • Wheezing

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
    • Pediatrics

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