Características clínicas de niños asmáticos mexicanos en un hospital pediátrico de tercer nivel de atención.

Introduction. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children. It is characterised by coughing, wheezing and breathlessness. Symptoms, seasonality and triggering factors differ for each individual. Objective. To describe the clinical and spirometric characteristics of Mexican asthmatic children, as well as triggering factors, use of rescue therapy, seasonality and allergic sensitization. Method. Medical history, clinical evaluation, spirometric tests, and skin prick tests were performed in children attending an allergy outpatient clinic for the first time, with symptoms suggestive of asthma in the last year. Asthma severity was classified according to GINA 2002. Results. A total of 104 patients between 7 and 18 years old (10.1±2.79) were included. Male gender predominated with a 1.3:1 ratio. 58.7% had mild asthma; 29.8% mild to moderate asthma, and 11.5% moderate to severe asthma. Coughing, wheezing and nocturnal asthma were the predominant symptoms. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (%) was between 80 and 117% (92.1±7) in the first group; between 80 and 105% (90±7.4) in the second group; and between 72 and 89% (79.2±4.8) in the third group. 58.2% of the patients had received bronchodilators in the last year (average 1.3 times/week). Most children (89.4%) were sensitized to at least one allergen. Conclusions. Asthma symptoms, triggering factors, as well as FEV1 vary individually according to asthma severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]