All issues > Volume 33(5); 1990

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1990;33(5):632-641. Published online May 31, 1990.

Clinical and Epidemiologic Studies on Childhood Asthma.

Youn Mo Ahn¹, Sun Ho Lee¹, Ha Baik Lee¹, Hahng Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Received: August 7, 1989;  Accepted: November 16, 1989.

Abstract

The one-hundred-twenty-seven asthmatic children who were diagnosed and treated either through admission or through clinic visits at the Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University Hospital from July 1987 to March 1989, were investigated for clinical patterns and epidemiologic correlations. The diagnosis of asthma was made by typical clinical history, physical findings and laboratory examina- tion. The results were as follows: 1) Sixty-three percent of the total population at the time of examination was under six years of age, with male predominace with a male to female ratio of 2.7 to 1. The age of first attack in the study group was under four years for most patients. 2) The most common allergic history was atopic dermatitis. The attack rate of asthma was the highest in the fall, especially in October. 3) Family history of allergic manifestation was positive in 30% of the cases studied. 4) The most common symptoms were coughing with or without sputum and dyspnea. Wheezing and rhonchi were the most frequent physical findings. URI might have contributed to developing asthma attack in 38% of total patients admitted. 5) Chest X-ray findings were variable: normal in 47%, hyperinflation change in 28% and secondary infiltration or increased bronchial markings in 22% respectively. 6) The percentage of the patients with total eosinophil count over 250/mm3 and the percentage of the patients with the increased IgE level in peripheral blood according to age matched value were 61% and 54% respectively. 7) As to the allergic skin test, the most common allergen revealed was the house dust with several allergens showing strong positive reactions simultaneously. 8) The empirical isoproterenol inhalation by the new jet-nebulizer seems to be useful for the acute management of childhood asthma.

Keywords :Asthma, Childhood.