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Most pediatric asthma guidelines offer evidence-based or best practice approaches to the management of asthma exacerbations but struggle with evidence-based approaches for severe acute asthma (SAA). We aimed to investigate current practices in children with SAA admitted to European pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), in particular, adjunct therapies, use of an asthma severity score, and availability of a SAA guideline. We designed a cross-sectional electronic survey across European PICUs. Thirty-seven PICUs from 11 European countries responded. In 8 PICUs (22%), a guideline for SAA management was unavailable. Inhaled beta-agonists and anticholinergics, combined with systemic steroids and IV MgSO4 was central in SAA treatment. Seven PICUs (30%) used a loading dose of a short-acting beta-agonist. Eighteen PICUs (49%) used an asthma severity score, with 8 different scores applied. Seventeen PICUs (46%) observed an increasing trend in SAA admissions.Conclusion: Variations in the treatment of children with SAA mainly existed in the use of adjunct therapies and asthma severity scores. Importantly, in 22% of the PICUs, a SAA guideline was unavailable. Standardizing SAA guidelines across PICUs in Europe may improve quality of care. However, the limited number of PICUs represented and the data compilation method are constraining our findings.What is Known:• Recent reports demonstrate increasing numbers of children with SAA requiring PICU admission in several countries across the world.• Most pediatric guidelines offer evidence-based approaches to the management of asthma exacerbations, but struggle with evidence-based approaches for SAA beyond these initial steps.What is New:• A large arsenal of adjunct therapies and 8 different asthma scores were used.• In a large number of PICUs, a written guideline for SAA management is lacking.

Background Progressive lung injury in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients can lead to chronic colonization with bacteria and fungi. Fungal colonization is obtained from the environment which necessitates locally performed epidemiology studies. We prospectively analyzed respiratory samples of CF patients during a 3-year period, using a uniform fungal culture protocol, focusing on filamentous fungi and azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus. Methods Over a 3-year period, all respiratory specimens collected from CF patients in 5 Dutch CF centers, were analyzed. Samples were inoculated onto the fungal culture media Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) and Medium B+. All fungal isolates were collected and identified in one centre, using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting, rDNA PCR and ITS, calmodulin and β-tubulin sequencing. Azole resistance was assessed for all A. fumigatus using a qPCR assay followed by phenotypic confirmation. Results Filamentous fungi were recovered from 699 patients from at least one respiratory sample, corresponding with 3787 cultured fungal species. A. fumigatus was cultured most often with a mean prevalence of 31.7%, followed by Penicillium species (12.6%), non-fumigatus Aspergillus species (5.6%), Scedosporium species (4.5%) and Exophiala dermatitidis and Cladosporium species (1.1% each). In total 107 different fungal species were identified, with 39 Penicillium species and 15 Aspergillus species. Azole resistance frequency in A. fumigatus was 7.1%, with TR34/L98H being the dominant resistance mechanism. Conclusion A vast diversity of filamentous fungi was demonstrated, dominated by Aspergillus and Penicillium species. We observed a mean azole resistance prevalence of 7.1% of A. fumigatus culture positive patients.

Objectives: To evaluate whether episodic viral wheeze (EVW) and multiple‐trigger wheeze (MTW) are clinically distinguishable and stable preschool wheezing phenotypes. Methods: Children of age 1 to 4 year with recurrent, pediatrician‐confirmed wheeze were recruited from secondary care; 189 were included. Respiratory and viral upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms were recorded weekly by parents in an electronic diary during 12 months. Every 3 months, diary‐based symptoms were classified as EVW or MTW and compared to phenotypes assigned by pediatricians based on clinical history. We collected nasal samples for respiratory virus PCR during URTI, respiratory symptoms and in absence of symptoms. Results: Of 660 3‐month periods, the diary‐based phenotype was EVW in 11%, MTW in 54% and 35% were free from respiratory episodes. Pediatrician‐based classification showed 59% EVW and 26% MTW. The Kappa measure of agreement between diary‐ based and pediatrician‐assigned phenotypes was very low (0.12, 95%CI, 0.07‐0.17). Phenotypic instability was observed in 32% of cases. PCR was positive in 71% during URTI symptoms, 66% during respiratory symptoms and 38% in the absence of symptoms. Conclusion: This study shows that EVW and MTW are variable over time within patients. Pediatrician classification of these phenotypes based on clinical history does not correspond to prospectively recorded symptom patterns. The applicability of these phenotypes as a basis for therapeutic decisions and prognosis should be questioned.

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the use of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) telemonitoring in pediatric asthma, but a consensus on its most efficient and effective implementation is still lacking. To find answers, it is important to study how such an intervention is perceived, experienced, and used by both patients and health care professionals (HCPs). OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to provide perspectives on how FEV1 home monitoring should be used in pediatric asthma. METHODS This is a qualitative, multicenter, prospective, observational study which included patients with asthma aged 6-16 and HCPs. Primary outcomes were results of 2 surveys that were sent to all participants at study start and after 3-4 months. Secondary outcomes consisted of FEV1 device usage during 4 months after receiving the FEV1 device. RESULTS A total of 39 participants (26 patients and 13 HCPs) were included in this study. Survey response rates were 97% (38/39) at the start and 87% (34/39) at the end of the study. Both patients and HCPs were receptive toward online FEV1 home monitoring and found it contributive to asthma control, self-management, and disease perception. The main concerns were about reliability of the FEV1 device and validity of home-performed lung function maneuvers. FEV1 devices were used with a median frequency of 7.5 (IQR 3.3-25.5) during the 4-month study period. CONCLUSIONS Patients and HCPs are receptive toward online FEV1 home monitoring. Frequency of measurements varied largely among individuals, yet perceived benefits remained similar. This emphasizes that online FEV1 home monitoring strategies should be used as a means to reach individual goals, rather than being a goal on their own.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the use of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) telemonitoring in pediatric asthma, but a consensus on its most efficient and effective implementation is still lacking. To find answers, it is important to study how such an intervention is perceived, experienced, and used by both patients and health care professionals (HCPs). Objective The aim of this study was to provide perspectives on how FEV1 home monitoring should be used in pediatric asthma. Methods This is a qualitative, multicenter, prospective, observational study which included patients with asthma aged 6-16 and HCPs. Primary outcomes were results of 2 surveys that were sent to all participants at study start and after 3-4 months. Secondary outcomes consisted of FEV1 device usage during 4 months after receiving the FEV1 device. Results A total of 39 participants (26 patients and 13 HCPs) were included in this study. Survey response rates were 97% (38/39) at the start and 87% (34/39) at the end of the study. Both patients and HCPs were receptive toward online FEV1 home monitoring and found it contributive to asthma control, self-management, and disease perception. The main concerns were about reliability of the FEV1 device and validity of home-performed lung function maneuvers. FEV1 devices were used with a median frequency of 7.5 (IQR 3.3-25.5) during the 4-month study period. Conclusions Patients and HCPs are receptive toward online FEV1 home monitoring. Frequency of measurements varied largely among individuals, yet perceived benefits remained similar. This emphasizes that online FEV1 home monitoring strategies should be used as a means to reach individual goals, rather than being a goal on their own.

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Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is an autosomal recessive disorder linked to mutations in the ATM gene, and is characterized by neurodegeneration with an early onset cerebellar syndrome, hyperkinetic movement disorders, neuropathy, and oculocutaneous telangiectasia. Immunodeficiency, pulmonary disease, growth failure, diabetes mellitus, increased malignancy risk and hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation complicate the clinical picture. Serum alpha-fetoprotein levels are increased in patients with A-T and can therefore serve as a diagnostic marker for the disease. In resource-limited settings, diagnosis and management of patients with a rare and complex disorder such as A-T may be extremely challenging. This expert opinion-based guideline aims to give an overview of diagnosis and management of A-T in resource-limited settings, by prioritizing different options based on medical necessity, availability, and costs.

It is difficult to identify children infected with COVID 19 who have little or no respiratory symptoms. For routine clinical care in different circumstances, it is relevant to assess the COVID 19 status of patients. Routine PCR is recognised as the gold standard but can be falsely negative due to sampling errors. For diagnosing and monitoring adult COVID 19 patients, characteristic radiological lesions have been recognised [1, 2] and to assess the possibility of COVID 19 infection in adults scheduled for surgery in whom a PCR test is negative or missing, a non-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) scan has been proposed as an option in the Netherlands [3] because: (1) Patients may be pre-symptomatic in the incubation period of a COVID 19 infection and subsequently develop symptoms post-operatively, implying a greater risk for adverse post-operative outcomes; (2) Patients may be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic carriers and shedders of COVID 19, and place hospital workers and other patients at risk., Chest CT is not a suitable screening tool to rule out COVID 19 in children

Cystic fibrosis (CF) can be complicated by fungal infection of the respiratory tract. Fungal detection rates in CF sputa are highly dependent on the culture protocol and incubation conditions and thus may lead to an underestimation of the true prevalence of fungal colonization. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the additional value of mucolytic pre-treatment, increased inoculum (100 &micro, L), additional fungal culture media (Sabouraud agar, SAB, Medium B+, Scedosporium selective agar, SceSel+ and Dichloran-Glycerol agar, DG18) and longer incubation time (3 weeks) compared with our current protocol. Using the new protocol, we prospectively analyzed 216 expectorated sputum samples from adult and pediatric CF patients (n = 77) and compared the culture yield to a three year retrospective cohort that used direct 10 &micro, L loop inoculation on SAB with 5 days incubation (867 sputum samples/103 patients). Detection rates for molds increased from 42% to 76% (p &lt, 0.0001). Twenty-six percent of cultures were polymicrobial in the prospective cohort as opposed to 4.7% in the retrospective cohort (p &lt, 0.0001). Colonization rate with A. fumigatus increased from 36% to 57%. SAB and DG18 showed the highest detection rates for all molds (SAB 58.6%, DG18 56.9%) and DG18 had the best performance for molds other than A. fumigatus. The larger sample volume and longer incubation also contributed to the increased recovery of molds. The introduction of a modified fungal culture protocol leads to a major increase in detection rate and the diversity of molds, which influences fungal epidemiology and may have implications for treatment decisions.

An increased prevalence of various filamentous fungi in sputum samples of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been reported. The clinical significance, however, is mostly unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical relevance of Scedosporium spp. and Exophiala dermatitidis from sputum samples of patients with CF in the Netherlands. In this cross-sectional study, all CF patients of the Dutch national CF registry who were treated at five of the seven recognized CF centers during a 3-year period were included. We linked clinical data of the national CF registry with the national Dutch filamentous fungal database. We investigated the association between clinical characteristics and a positive sputum sample for Scedosporium spp. and E. dermatitidis, using logistic regression. Positive cultures for fungi were obtained from 3787 sputum samples from 699 of the 1312 patients with CF. Scedosporium spp. was associated with severe genotype, CF-related diabetes, several microorganisms, and inhaled antibiotics. E. dermatitidis was associated with older age, female sex, and Aspergillus spp. CF patients with and without Scedosporium spp. or E. dermatitidis seemed comparable in body mass index and lung function. This study suggests that Scedosporium spp. and E. dermatitidis are probably no major pathogens in CF patients in the Netherlands. Greater understanding of epidemiologic trends, risk factors, and pathogenicity of filamentous fungi in the respiratory tracts of patients with CF is needed.

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Contains fulltext : 225398.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Large birth cohort studies are extremely valuable in assessing associations between early life exposures and long-term outcomes. Establishing new birth cohorts is challenging due to declining participation rates. Online methods of data collection may increase feasibility, but have not been evaluated thoroughly. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of the ongoing PRegnancy and Infant DEvelopment (PRIDE) Study is to identify exposures during pregnancy and in early life that may affect short-term or long-term health of mother and/or child. In this manuscript, we aimed to evaluate methods of recruitment and online data collection applied. POPULATION: Dutch women aged ≥18 years in early pregnancy. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Initially, only prenatal care providers recruited participants, but alternative recruitment methods were added as a result of disappointing participation rates, including collaboration with "Moeders voor Moeders" (organisation that visits women in early pregnancy) and Facebook advertisements. Data on demographic characteristics, obstetric history, maternal health, life style factors, occupational exposures, nutrition, pregnancy complications, and infant outcomes are primarily collected through Web-based questionnaires at multiple time points during and after pregnancy. Additional data collection components include paternal questionnaires, blood and saliva sampling, and linkage to medical records. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: By September 2019, 9573 women were included in the PRIDE Study, of which 1.3% completed paper-based questionnaires. Mean age of the women analysed was 30.6 years, 71.1% had a high level of education, 57.2% were primiparae, and mean gestational age at enrolment was 9.9 (range 3, 37) weeks, with slight differences between recruitment methods. Pregnancy outcome was known for 89.8%. Retention rate at 6 months after the estimated date of delivery was estimated at 70%. Multiple validation studies conducted within the PRIDE Study indicated high data quality. CONCLUSION(S): Although challenging and time-consuming, online methods for recruitment and data collection may enable the establishment of new birth cohort studies.

BACKGROUND Depression and anxiety during pregnancy are associated with adverse health outcomes for both mother and child. This study aims to investigate the occurrence of symptoms of depression and anxiety in early and late pregnancy, the longitudinal changes from early to late pregnancy, and factors associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnant women in the Netherlands. METHODS We studied 2897 women participating in the PRegnancy and Infant DEvelopment (PRIDE) Study. To assess symptoms of depression and anxiety, web-based questionnaires including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and multiple questions on maternal characteristics were completed in early and late pregnancy. Cross-sectional and longitudinal multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS The depressive symptoms in our population increased, with a prevalence of probable depression from 5.4% in early pregnancy to 10.0% in late pregnancy (P

Contains fulltext : 202933.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) We collected sputum samples and cough plates from 15 cystic fibrosis patients in the Netherlands who were colonized with Aspergillus fumigatus; we recovered A. fumigatus of the same genotype in cough aerosols and sputum samples from 2 patients. The belief that transmission of A. fumigatus from cystic fibrosis patients does not occur should be reconsidered. 3 p.

Contains fulltext : 174099.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Ataxia-telangiectasia is a rare, neurodegenerative, and multisystem disease, characterized by cerebellar ataxia, oculocutaneous telangiectasia, immunodeficiency, progressive respiratory failure, and an increased risk of malignancies. It demands specialized care tailored to the individual patient's needs. Besides the classic ataxia-telangiectasia phenotype, a variant phenotype exists with partly overlapping but some distinctive disease characteristics. This guideline summarizes frequently encountered medical problems in the disease course of patients with classic and variant ataxia-telangiectasia, in the domains of neurology, immunology and infectious diseases, pulmonology, anaesthetic and perioperative risk, oncology, endocrinology, and nutrition. Furthermore, it provides a practical guide with evidence- and expert-based recommendations for the follow-up and treatment of all these different clinical topics.

Objectives: During the last decade we observed a threefold increase in children with severe acute asthma (SAA) admitted to a Dutch pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Previously, we found no differences in proportion of steroid-naive children, previous PICU admissions, sensibilisation, and viral infections in children admitted to the PICU versus general ward. We aimed to identify risk factors which characterize the clinical course in SAA children admitted to the PICU. Methods: a prospective study in children with SAA (2–18 years) admitted to all Dutch PICUs between 2016 – 2018. We compared (1) children with (non)-invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), IV salbutamol dosage >1 mcg/kg/min, or resuscitation with (2) children with an IV salbutamol dosage ≤1 mcg/kg/min. Results: We included 110 children. In group 1 (72/110) the median IV salbutamol dosage was 3.5 mcg/kg/min (IQR 2.0-6.0), 13 children (18%) needed IMV and 2 (3%) died. Group 1 had a longer PICU length of stay (66 vs 34 hours, p Conclusions: Since the main risk factor for SAA severity was previous PICU admission, follow-up by a specialist after PICU admission is warranted. Children with an IV salbutamol dosage ≤1 mcg/kg/min had a significant lower severity of illness. Our national SAA guideline implies immediate referral to a PICU, regardless of IV salbutamol dosage. This may need to be reconsidered in the light of our findings.

A paediatric case of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in which endo-oesophageal ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration using an endobronchial ultrasound-guided bronchoscope was used to collect a sample for microbial analyses is presented. In our experience, ultrasound-guided sampling techniques, both endo-oesophageal and endobronchial, can be safely used for the diagnosis of paediatric intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenopathy in children aged 3 years. Interventional pulmonologists with experience in using these techniques should be part of the multidisciplinary team treating these patients.

Vitamin C administration to severely addicted pregnant smokers may induce a small improvement in lung function of their offspring compared to controls. To assess any clinical relevance, replicate and long-term follow-up studies are needed.https://bit.ly/2DZoVRT

BACKGROUND: We assessed the content of an intervention which integrates individual goals in outpatient clinic asthma management (based on self management principles) of children 6-12 years of age. METHODS: This is a content evaluation study and was part of a randomized controlled multicenter trial with 9 months follow-up in five Dutch outpatient asthma clinics among children with asthma aged 6-12 years. Information on children's individual problems and their level of impairment (as indicated by the Pelican instrument), asthma management goals, and actions (as indicated by written action plans) was collected. Satisfaction of parents, children, and nurses were assessed with questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Most frequently identified problems by children (n = 42) were "cough," "cigarette smoke," and "shortness of breath." Eighty-two percent of items that were selected by children showed room for improvement. About 2-7 actions were formulated and children had an active role in more than 76% of the actions. "Using rescue medication prior to activities/triggers," and "talk to others about your asthma" were most frequently recommended. Children thought the Pelican instrument was easy (95%) and fun (65%) and both parents and nurses were positive about the incorporation of the program in asthma management. Following barriers were found: (1) only 25% of goals was formulated according to SMART principles; (2) traditional management aspects (such as medication use) are often treated instead of individual problems of children. CONCLUSION: Implementation of patient-centered care based on the Pelican instrument is recommended in specialized care, although more extensive training of nurses in PCC will improve the successful execution of the evaluated treatment. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:993-1003. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Contains fulltext : 152146.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare, progressive, multisystem disease that has a large number of complex and diverse manifestations which vary with age. Patients with A-T die prematurely with the leading causes of death being respiratory diseases and cancer. Respiratory manifestations include immune dysfunction leading to recurrent upper and lower respiratory infections; aspiration resulting from dysfunctional swallowing due to neurodegenerative deficits; inefficient cough; and interstitial lung disease/pulmonary fibrosis. Malnutrition is a significant comorbidity. The increased radiosensitivity and increased risk of cancer should be borne in mind when requesting radiological investigations. Aggressive proactive monitoring and treatment of these various aspects of lung disease under multidisciplinary expertise in the experience of national multidisciplinary clinics internationally forms the basis of this statement on the management of lung disease in A-T. Neurological management is outwith the scope of this document.

Multiple breath washout is likely to gain clinical relevance due to the recent availability of reference data. This may stimulate its clinical applicability in CF and other small airway diseases.http://bit.ly/2Wa72qE

Background: Despite their potential benefits, many electronic health (eHealth) innovations evaluated in major studies fail to integrate into organizational routines, and the implementation of these innovations remains problematic. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe health care professionals’ self-identified perceived barriers and facilitators for the implementation of a Web-based portal to monitor asthmatic children as a substitution for routine outpatient care. Also, we assessed patients’ (or their parents) satisfaction with this eHealth innovation. Methods: Between April and November 2015, we recruited 76 health care professionals (from 14 hospitals). During a period of 6 months, participants received 3 questionnaires to identify factors that facilitated or impeded the use of this eHealth innovation. Questionnaires for patients (or parents) were completed after the 6-month virtual asthma clinic (VAC) implementation period. Results: Major perceived barriers included concerns about the lack of structural financial reimbursement for Web-based monitoring, lack of integration of this eHealth innovation with electronic medical records, the burden of Web-based portal use on clinician workload, and altered patient-professional relationship (due to fewer face-to-face contacts). Major perceived facilitators included enthusiastic and active initiators, a positive attitude of professionals toward eHealth, the possibility to tailor care to individual patients (“personalized eHealth”), easily deliverable care according to current guidelines using the VAC, and long-term profit and efficiency. Conclusions: The implementation of Web-based disease monitoring and management in children is complex and dynamic and is influenced by multiple factors at the levels of the innovation itself, individual professionals, patients, social context, organizational context, and economic and political context. Understanding and defining the barriers and facilitators that influence the context is crucial for the successful implementation and sustainability of eHealth innovations.

Pouwelse ML, Van der Meer V, Van den Boogaard M, Hugen C, Merkus P, Van den Bemt L. Astma bij kinderen: hoe zeker is de diagnose? Huisarts Wet 2015;58(8):402-5. Bij kinderen van 6-16 jaar die met een chronische aandoening bij de huisarts komen, is ‘astma’ de diagnose die het meest wordt gesteld. Doel van ons onderzoek was, vast te stellen hoe betrouwbaar die diagnose is. In zeven huisartsenpraktijken bepaalden we de puntprevalentie van de geregistreerde diagnose ‘astma’ bij kinderen van 6-16 jaar. De validiteit van de diagnose onderzochten wij aan de hand van in de status geregistreerde kenmerken, zoals luchtwegsymptomen, vastgestelde allergieen, gebruik van luchtwegmedicatie en aangetoonde reversibiliteit. Wij analyseerden 2458 patientendossiers van kinderen van 6-16 jaar. In 222 (9%) van deze dossiers stond de diagnose ‘astma’ geregistreerd; 218 daarvan konden wij gebruiken voor statusonderzoek. In 92 dossiers (42%) maakten de diagnostische gegevens de diagnose ‘astma’ waarschijnlijk, in 28 dossiers (13%) maakten zij astma onwaarschijnlijk en 98 dossiers (45%) bevatten onvoldoende diagnostische gegevens om een uitspraak te kunnen doen over de validiteit van de diagnose. In de meeste gevallen konden wij de diagnose ‘astma’ van de huisarts niet verifieren op basis van het medisch dossier. Een aantal kinderen lijkt ten onrechte in het dossier de registratie ‘astma’ te hebben gekregen. De diagnostiek en registratie van astma in de huisartsenpraktijk, met name bij kinderen jonger dan 6 jaar, verdient meer aandacht. Hetzelfde geldt voor de follow-up van die diagnose na de zesde verjaardag.

Dealing with paediatric asthma in daily practice, we are mostly interested in the airway function: the hallmark of asthma is the variability of airway patency. Various pulmonary function tests (PFT) can be used to quantify airway caliber in asthmatic children. The choice of the test is based on the developmental age of the child, knowledge of the diagnosis/underlying pathophysiology, clinical questions and reasoning, and treatment. PFT is performed to monitor the severity of asthma and the response to therapy, but can also be used as a diagnostic tool, and to study growth and development of the lungs and airways. This review aims to provide clinicians an overview of the differences in assessing PFT in infants and preschool children compared with older cooperative children, which tests are feasible in infants and young children, the limitations of and usefulness of these tests, and of their interpretation in these age groups.

Item does not contain fulltext OBJECTIVE: Insufficient asthma management leads to impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of this study is to assess whether individualized self-management (ISM) support will improve HRQL in children with asthma compared to enhanced usual care (EUC) in Dutch general practices. METHODS: A cluster-randomized controlled trial with 9-month follow-up. ISM is a nurse-led intervention that is optimized to the needs of children, leading to a written action plan. Power calculation demanded inclusion of 170 children (aged 6-11 years) diagnosed with asthma and active medication use. RESULTS: Outcomes were HRQL of the child (Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, PAQLQ-s) and several secondary outcomes. Data of 29 children (mean age 8.6 years, SD 1.7) were analyzed; ISM (n = 15) or EUC (n = 14). Logistic regression analysis (minimal clinical important difference; MCID >/= 0.5) and descriptive analyses were performed. Despite high PAQLQ-s score at baseline (median ISM 6.35, EUC 6.02), a substantial number of subjects from both groups showed MCID of HRQL (ISM 33%, EUC 57%). Treatment differences on HRQL were not significant (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.08, 1.69). Secondary outcomes did not show significant differences either, with exception of PAQLQ-s symptoms domain score in favor of EUC. CONCLUSION: Due to recruitment problems and underpowered analyses, no firm conclusions on the effectiveness of ISM support for childhood asthma in primary care could be drawn. Still, this study can be considered a valuable pilot study and in the future, there might be better capacity in general practices to commit to such treatment.

Contains fulltext : 177833.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) eHealth is an appealing medium to improve healthcare and its value (in addition to standard care) has been assessed in previous studies. We aimed to assess whether an eHealth intervention could improve asthma control while reducing 50% of routine outpatient visits.In a multicentre, randomised controlled trial with a 16-month follow-up, asthmatic children (6-16 years) treated in eight Dutch hospitals were randomised to usual care (4-monthly outpatient visits) and online care using a virtual asthma clinic (VAC) (8-monthly outpatient visits with monthly web-based monitoring). Outcome measures were the number of symptom-free days in the last 4 weeks of the study, asthma control, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, exhaled nitric oxide fraction, asthma exacerbations, unscheduled outpatient visits, hospital admissions, daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids and courses of systemic corticosteroids.We included 210 children. After follow-up, symptom-free days differed statistically between the usual care and VAC groups (difference of 1.23 days, 95% CI 0.42-2.04; p=0.003) in favour of the VAC. In terms of asthma control, the Childhood Asthma Control Test improved more in the VAC group (difference of 1.17 points, 95% CI 0.09-2.25; p=0.03). No differences were found for other outcome measures.Routine outpatient visits can partly be replaced by monitoring asthmatic children via eHealth.

A compact, cost-effective sensor is developed for detection of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in exhaled breath within seconds. For this, an off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy setup is combined with a widely tunable compact near-infrared laser (tunability 1527–1564 nm). For HCN a detection sensitivity has been obtained of 8 ppbv in nitrogen (within 1 s), equal to a noise equivalent absorption sensitivity of 1.9 × 10−9 cm−1 Hz−1/2. With this sensor we demonstrated the presence of HCN in exhaled breath; its detection could be a good indicator for bacterial lung infection. Due to its compact, cost-effective and user-friendly design, this laser-based sensor has the potential to be implemented in future clinical applications.

Wheeze is one of the most prevalent symptoms in preschool children with huge impacts on children and their families, on healthcare utilisation and hence costs [1]. While most children will become asymptomatic by 5–6 years of age, some will develop asthma or, even more importantly, severe problematic asthma and/or will experience an accelerated decline in lung function. Several studies have shown that lung function in asthmatic children at 6 years of age is already reduced compared with nonasthmatic children, in particular among children with allergic asthma [2]. This impaired lung function seems to be present soon after birth in children who are at risk of asthma [3]. Hence, the preschool years and the prenatal period seem of the utmost importance if we are looking for a window of opportunity to prevent asthma or to identify those children who are at risk for severe disease. F eNO may be helpful in predicting future asthma in preschool wheezing children, but more longitudinal data are needed

Item does not contain fulltext PURPOSE: To assess psychometric properties of the Pelican instrument, an online Dutch self-administered Quality of Life instrument for childhood asthma for scientific and clinical use. METHODS: A cohort study was done in two asthma populations and healthy children. One asthma population had assessment at start, 4 and 8 weeks. The other asthma population and healthy children had one assessment. All children were aged 6-12 years. Children completed the Pelican instrument, Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, feeling thermometer and Childhood Asthma Control Test. Lung function and fraction exhaled nitric oxide were measured. Parents completed Functional Status II, Asthma Control Questionnaire, Childhood Asthma Control Test questionnaires and symptom diaries. We assessed interpretability, structural validity, internal consistency, reliability, construct and discriminative validity of the Pelican instrument. RESULTS: Eighty-five asthmatic (mean age 8.5 years) and 49 healthy children (mean age 8.4 years) participated. The Pelican instrument has 5 domains with 21 items after factor analysis. Internal consistency was 0.89 (CI 0.85-0.92), domain reliability showed Cronbach's alpha's from 0.64 to 0.76 and item-to-scale correlations from 0.61 to 0.81. Test-retest reliability was confirmed ICC = 0.88 (CI 0.79-0.93). Construct validity was demonstrated by significant moderate correlations with other relevant asthma outcomes like PAQLQ (r = -0.59, p < 0.01). Discriminative capacity between controlled or uncontrolled asthma (t = 3.20, p < 0.01, Delta = 0.64) and asthma versus healthy subjects (t = 6.31, p < 0.01, Delta = 0.94) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric properties of the Pelican instrument were acceptable in Dutch paediatric asthma patients between 6 and 12 years old.

Measurement of the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a useful test to diagnose and/or monitor eosinophilic airway inflammation. The off-line tidal breathing method is used for measurements in young children, but reference values for preschool children are scarce. The objective of this study was to establish reference values for FeNO in healthy children 1-5 years old. We included 51 healthy children (23 males), mean age 32.5 months, from the general population and measured FeNO, using an off-line tidal breathing method with a chemiluminescence analyzer. The method proved feasible in 100% of the children. Geometric mean FeNO was 7.1 parts per billion (ppb), 95% confidence interval 2.8-11.5 ppb, with the 95th percentile 22.6 ppb. No significant difference was found between boys and girls, and no correlations were observed between FeNO and age, height, or weight. This study demonstrates that the off-line tidal breathing method is feasible to measure FeNO in preschool children and provides reference values of FeNO in healthy children 1-5 years of age.

A sensor based on a continuous wave quantum cascade laser, operating near 5.2 lm, in combination with integrated cavity output spectroscopy has been developed for simultaneous measurement of nitric oxide (NO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) traces in exhaled air. A detection limit of 0.7 parts-per-billion by volume of NO (acquisition time: 1 s) is achieved. Comparison is made with the stan- dard chemiluminescence NO analyzer and commercial CO2 breath sampler. The QCL-based sensor is tested on healthy subjects at various exhalation flow rates (15, 50, 100 and 300 ml/s) for both online and offline sampling procedures as well as on asthmatic children (offline sam- pling). Possibilities for measurements of biogenic NO in vivo, i.e., NO coming from human skin tissue, are also

The goal of monitoring pediatric asthma is to obtain and maintain asthma control, which is defined as minimizing asthma symptoms, restrictions to daily activities and the use of rescue medication. Long term goals include reducing the risk of fixed airflow limitation, and preventing asthma exacerbations and side effects of treatment. Several monitoring tools are available but no consensus exists on how to monitor patients in the most optimal way. Areas covered: In this review, we provide an overview of different tools and address general considerations on monitoring childhood asthma. Asthma care should be tailored to the individual patient. The health care professional should decide which monitoring strategy and frequency is optimal for the individual patient. Expert commentary: Personalized medicine should be the key issue in monitoring asthma in children. It is crucial to monitor disease activity and deterioration but there is no monitoring strategy that is clearly superior compared to others: The optimal strategy and frequency will vary between patients. Actually, both treatment and monitoring of pediatric asthma probably benefit from a personalized approach.

Introduction Although several eHealth interventions have been shown to be effective, little is known about the actual use of these interventions among patients in real life. Aim of the study The aim were to describe and analyse website-use among children with asthma receiving online care through the virtual asthma clinic (VAC) and to develop recommendations for further use of the VAC in paediatric asthma care. Methods Observational study conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of the VAC. Website log-data of the participants were analysed in retrospect: activity (page views of information pages and treatment plan), communication with the medical team (frequency and content of messages) and login (frequency and duration) were compared between different age groups (6-11 years and 12-16 years). Results 105 children (mean age 11.2 years (± SD 2.9 years; 61% male) were included. Younger participants or parents accessed the (general) information pages significantly more often than teenagers (median page views 10 versus 4, P =.003). The median number of messages was also significantly higher (median 4 versus 2, P =.04) in the younger group. No significant difference in login frequency was found between the two age groups, but the login-frequency decreased significantly within both groups during the 16-month study period. Conclusions The VAC was used significantly different by teenagers and younger children and/or their parents regarding the need of information and communication with the medical team. Younger children used the information and communication modules more often in comparison to teenagers. These differences should be taken into account while designing an eHealth intervention for children.

Volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis in exhaled breath is proposed as a non-invasive method to detect respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Since polymicrobial infections are common, we assessed whether we could distinguish Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus mono- and co-cultures using the VOC emissions. We took headspace samples of P. aeruginosa, A. fumigatus and co-cultures at 16, 24 and 48 h after inoculation, in which VOCs were identified by thermal desorption combined with gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. Using multivariate analysis by Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis we found distinct VOC biomarker combinations for mono- and co-cultures at each sampling time point, showing that there is an interaction between the two pathogens, with P. aeruginosa dominating the co-culture at 48 h. Furthermore, time-independent VOC biomarker combinations were also obtained to predict correct identification of P. aeruginosa and A. fumigatus in mono-culture and in co-culture. This study shows that the VOC combinations in P. aeruginosa and A. fumigatus co-microbial environment are different from those released by these pathogens in mono-culture. Using advanced data analysis techniques such as PLS-DA, time-independent pathogen specific biomarker combinations can be generated that may help to detect mixed respiratory infections in exhaled breath of cystic fibrosis patients.

Before we can determine whether prophylaxis with antibiotics is required in a patient with repaired Esophageal Atresia/tracheaesophageal fistula, it is appropriate to realize the impact and scope of the disorder. Esophageal Atresia (EA) with and/or without tracheo-esophageal fistula (TEF) is a rare condition for which relatively few epidemiological data exist, and which has been the topic of relatively few intervention studies. It appears that about 3 in every 10,000 live births is affected with EA [1]. In a recent study, a small increase of EA was described over the years, presumably due to a better registration. Respiratory symptoms in patients with repaired EA (rEA) are very common [2]. In addition, significant other respiratory morbidity has been observed in children with rEA, besides tracheomalacia [3]. Symptoms may resemble closely those attributable to airway malacia in general [4] and it seems realistic to compare children with rEA to those with airway malacia in general, because much more is known about the latter. Nevertheless, it remains difficult to estimate respiratory morbidity from the literature because many different definitions, questionnaires, and study designs have been used. However, many patients seem to suffer from respiratory problems even into adulthood. In summary, morbidity is not limited to surgical problems but many different body systems are involved. These are all related and together determine to a large extent the quality of life of EA patients and also of their families. Therefore, it was recommended that clinicians’ develop a multidisciplinary care approach to address the special needs of these paediatric and adult patients [5]. Because not all physicians are aware of the disorder, there is a tendency to attribute all lower respiratory symptoms to asthma; this may have led to an over diagnosis of asthma in this patient group, and to under treatment of the recurrent or chronic bronchitis. [4,6] Radiological reports in rEA are rare but abnormalities have been described, including bronchiectasis [7], with a higher prevalence than found in the general population [8] and bronchial wall thickness severity was significantly higher in patients with airway

The window of possible catch-up alveolarisation seems quite large: good news for the young and the old http://ow.ly/WNPIV

Hydrogen cyanide is produced by S. aureus in vitro and in vivo and is not an exclusive biomarker for P. aeruginosa http://ow.ly/4nsh7y

Contains fulltext : 171247.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) The aim of this study was to systematically review and meta-analyse observational studies on prenatal maternal psychological stress and the subsequent development of asthma and wheezing in early childhood.All available published literature from 1960 until November 2013 was systematically searched through electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo and Web of Science). All observational studies assessing associations between any form of prenatal maternal psychological stress and respiratory morbidity in the child were included. Data extraction, quality assessment and meta-analyses were performed.The overall meta-analysis included 10 studies and showed that the prevalence of wheezing, asthma and other respiratory symptoms is higher in children of mothers who were exposed to or experienced some form of psychological stress during pregnancy than in mothers who did not (pooled OR 1.56 (95% CI 1.36-1.80)). Comparable results were observed in subgroup analyses of stress exposure, perceived stress, asthma and wheezing.This study demonstrates that prenatal maternal psychological stress is associated with respiratory morbidity, including asthma and wheezing in the child. Future studies examining the early origins of asthma and wheezing need to account for the impact of prenatal maternal stress.

The ultimate goal of asthma care is to obtain and maintain control, and optimise prognosis for patients [1]. Monitoring and treatment adjustments tailored to patients' needs and wishes are essential to achieve controlled asthma and are therefore a fundamental part of comprehensive asthma management. However, the best strategy for asthma monitoring and its frequency are still unknown [2]. In daily practice, healthcare professionals combine scheduled routine clinical visits, lung function tests, repeated targeted education and questionnaires to evaluate asthma control and/or quality of life. Furthermore, adherence to treatment is strongly associated with asthma control [1, 3]. Although proper treatment of asthma could prevent exacerbations, several studies have suggested that the majority of patients do not have adequate control of their disease [4]. For a large part, this may be explained by suboptimal adherence; in patients with asthma adherence varies between 30 and 70% [5–7]. Monitoring asthma: towards personalised e-Health!

BACKGROUND: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a life-threatening complication in immunocompromised patients. Early diagnosis and therapy improves outcome. Assessment of galactomannan (GM) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid is a proposed tool to diagnose IPA. Little is known about the diagnostic value of BAL GM in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospectively, 72 bronchoscopies were analyzed for GM in patients fulfilling the host factor criteria as defined by the EORTC/MSG. A cut-off index value GM of >/=0.5 was used. Clinical data, results of chest CT-scans and BAL cultures were collected. RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of BAL GM for a diagnosis of proven and probable IPA (n = 41) were 82.4%, 87.5%, 82.4%, and 87.5% respectively. A significant relation was found for BAL GM and abnormal chest CT (P = 0.01). No significant relationship was observed between BAL Aspergillus sp. culture and chest CT (n = 47). BAL GM and serum GM correlated significantly. In 9 out of 12 patients classified as possible IPA, antifungal therapy was continued or started, despite a negative BAL GM. CONCLUSIONS: BAL GM test had good diagnostic value in children suspected of IPA. However, the decision to continue or start antifungal therapy was mainly determined by the clinical suspicion of IPA based on chest CT-outcome, serum GM index values and failure of antibiotic therapy.

Item does not contain fulltext OBJECTIVE: To collect longitudinal data on lung function in the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and to evaluate relationships between lung function and perinatal factors. Longitudinal data on lung function in the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are lacking. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient clinic of a tertiary level pediatric hospital. PATIENTS: The cohort consisted of 64 infants; 33 received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for meconium aspiration syndrome, 14 for congenital diaphragmatic hernia, four for sepsis, six for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the neonate, and seven for respiratory distress syndrome of infancy. Evaluation was at 6 mos and 12 mos; 39 infants were evaluated at both time points . INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Functional residual capacity and forced expiratory flow at functional residual capacity were measured and expressed as z score. Mean (sem) functional residual capacities in z score were 0.0 (0.2) and 0.2 (0.2) at 6 mos and 12 mos, respectively. Mean (sem) forced expiratory flow was significantly below average (z score = 0) (p < .001) at 6 mos and 12 mos: -1.1 (0.1) and -1.2 (0.1), respectively. At 12 mos, infants with diaphragmatic hernia had a functional residual capacity significantly above normal: mean (sem) z score = 1.2 (0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Infants treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation have normal lung volumes and stable forced expiratory flows within normal range, although below average, within the first year of life. There is reason to believe, therefore, that extracorporeal membrane oxygenation either ameliorates the harmful effects of mechanical ventilation or somehow preserves lung function in the very ill neonate.

Contains fulltext : 97272.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVE: to systematically review all available studies that investigated the longitudinal relationships between the psychological characteristics of children and adolescents suffering from asthma and those of their caregivers, and the onset and course of the asthma. METHODS: relevant studies were identified using Medline, PubMed, and PsychINFO between 1970 and September 2009. RESULTS: twenty studies matching inclusion criteria were reviewed. Six studies focused on child-specific psychological characteristics in relation to the onset and course of asthma. No compelling evidence was found for an association with asthma onset, but there was some evidence that the child's psychological characteristics can contribute to the subsequent course of asthma. Fourteen studies considered the effects of the psychological characteristics of the caregivers. Eleven studies found significant relationships between the psychological problems of caregivers and the subsequent onset and unfavorable course of the asthma in the child. CONCLUSION: in pediatric asthma both the psychological characteristics of the affected children and their caregivers appear to contribute to the course and possibly also to the onset of the condition.