Factors Associated With Asthma Control in 121 Preschool Children.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Data on risk factors for uncontrolled asthma in preschool children are controversial. Objective: This study aims to explore the association between clinical and functional parameters and the lack of asthma control in preschool children. METHODS: Children aged 3-5 years with asthma and healthy controls were recruited. A questionnaire was used to identify potential risk factors for uncontrolled asthma, as defined by the Global INitiative for Asthma criteria. Lung function and bronchial reversibility were evaluated through impulse oscillometry and spirometry. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated based on multivariable generalized additive regression models. The discriminative ability of the models was measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: The study population comprised 121 children (107 with asthma and 14 healthy controls). Fifty-three patients (50%) had uncontrolled asthma. After adjustment, the variables associated with an increased risk of lack of control were as follows: "More than 3 flare-ups in the last 12 months", "Moderate to severe rhinitis", and "Relative variation in postbronchodilator FVC and FEV1". The AUC of the final models that included variation in FVC or FEV1 were 0.82 and 0.81, respectively. The R5-20, R5-20%, and AX z-score values of the healthy group were lower than those of children with asthma. CONCLUSION: In preschool children, clinical and functional parameters are associated with uncontrolled asthma. More studies are needed to confirm the usefulness of impulse oscillometry.

Cross-cultural validation of the Portuguese from Portugal version of the Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK) questionnaire.

SUMMARY: Introduction. The Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK) is a tool to assess asthma control in preschool children. This study aims to validate the Portuguese from Portugal version of the TRACK questionnaire. Methods. A prospective cohort study was carried out to assess their psychometric characteristics. Caregivers of 141 children under age 5 with asthma symptoms were enrolled. Results. Internal reliability was close to 0.70 (Cronbach's α). The test-retest reliability was 0.87. TRACK scores were different between well, partially, and non-controlled asthma groups (p less than 0.001). Patients rated as having better control showed an increase in TRACK scores. Conclusions. The Portuguese version of the TRACK questionnaire is accurate and reliable for monitoring asthma control. Its use may help to overcome challenges with the management of this age group.

Patch testing in a case of eslicarbazepine and carbamazepine induced cutaneous reaction.

Summary: Anticonvulsants are among the drugs most commonly involved in cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs). Eslicarbazepine is a new anti-epileptic drug, chemically related to carbamazepine but with a more favorable safety profile. We report the clinical case of a woman who developed a skin rash on day 10 of eslicarbazepine with further exacerbation with eosinophilia on day 2 of carbamazepine. Epicutaneous tests were positive with eslicarbazepine.

Piperacillin-tazobactam anaphylaxis: a rare cause of occupational disease.

Summary: Piperacillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic of penicillin family. Some penicillins were report-ed as occupational diseases cause, but piperacillin anaphylaxis with occupational sensi-tization is rare. We describe the case of a female nurse with recurrent anaphylaxis in last few months without apparent cause, only in work environment. Latex allergy was excluded after negative latex glove provocation. Later during diagnostic workup, the patient reported a similar reaction minutes after piperacillin preparation. She denied any previous antibiotic therapeutic exposure. Skin prick tests (SPT) to beta-lactams were positive to piperacillin, penicillin G and major and minor determinants. SPT to cefuroxime was negative but intradermic test was positive. The patient has indication for beta-lactams eviction and for adrenaline auto-injector kit. No further reactions occurred after patient's transfer to another department with minimum possible exposure. Allergic risk prevention is essential and must be rapidly implemented to avoid incapacitating occupational diseases development.

Combined therapy with zidovudine, recombinant granulocyte colony stimulating factors and erythropoietin in asymptomatic HIV patients.

The aim of this randomized, comparative, double-blind study was to determine the efficacy of zidovudine (ZVD) either alone or in combination with recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (rG-CSF) and erythropoietin (Epo) in asymptomatic HIV-infected subjects with a CD4+ cell count < 500/mm3, classified as CDC II stage. We recruited 20 HIV Ab+ asymptomatic patients who were randomized into two groups: A and B. Group A was treated with ZVD at the dosage of 500 mg daily in combination with rG-CSF (10 micrograms/Kg/biweekly) and Epo (50 IU/Kg/biweekly). Group B was treated with ZVD (500 mg/day) alone. The primary end-point was progression to an AIDS-defining event and the secondary end-point included changes in the CD4+ cell count, p24 Ag status, beta-2-microglobulin, and ferritin levels. The patients of Group A showed no significant changes in transaminase, ferritin and beta-2-microglobulin levels while CD4 cells, Hb and neutrophil levels increased significantly compared to Group B (p < 0.001) and baseline values (p < 0.05). Conversely, 5 patients in Group B showed a significant decrease in CD4 cells (p < 0.01), Hb and neutrophil levels (p < 0.01) compared to baseline values, while beta-2-microglobulin increased (p < 0.05) compared to initial values. Our preliminary study may indicate that the combination of zidovudine with these hematopoietic growth factors could reduce the possibility of virus-related hematologic toxicity and could be more efficacious than zidovudine alone in prolonged therapy.

Risk factors for Aujeszky's-disease seropositivity of swine herds of a region of northern Italy.

Vaccination programs to control Aujeszky's-disease virus (ADV) using gE-deleted vaccines are being considered in several European countries. Knowledge of factors influencing ADV-seropositivity for vaccinated herds might contribute to the success of these programs. A multivariable analysis of ADV-seropositivity in 1248 swine herds (332 farrow-to-finish, 260 farrow-to-feeder and 656 finishing herds) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy revealed that (1) high pig density (number of pigs in a 6-km radius), (2) gilt purchasing, and (3) increased number of fattening pigs were risk factors for farrow-to-finish herds. In farrow-to-feeder herds, ADV-seropositivity was related to (1) increased number of breeders, (2) heavy-gilt purchasing, and (3) increased pig density. In finishing herds, (1) increased herd size was related to ADV-seropositivity, whereas (2) periodic rearing suspension was protective.

Increased intestinal sugar permeability after challenge in children with cow's milk allergy or intolerance.

The diagnosis of cow's milk allergy or intolerance (CMAI) is based on clinical improvement on exclusion diet and relapse after challenge with milk. The aim of this work was to investigate the value of the cellobiose/mannitol (C/M) sugar permeability test, performed before and after cow's milk challenge, as a tool for the diagnosis of CMAI. Thirty-two patients underwent milk challenge at a median age of 13 months (range 3-84 months). A dual sugar (C/M) permeability test with an iso-osmolar solution was performed before and 24 h after challenge. Of the 10 patients who developed symptoms after challenge, nine showed increased postchallenge C/M ratio, whereas such an increase was observed in only one of the 22 nonrelapsed subjects. The postchallenge C/M ratio increase in relapsed subjects is to be attributed to both higher cellobiose and lower mannitol urinary excretion. These results suggest the use of the sugar permeability test, in addition to clinical observation, as an aid in the evaluation of provocation tests in infants with suspected CMAI.

Differentiation of cows' milk intolerance and gastro-oesophageal reflux.

The aim of this study was to compare a non-invasive test of small bowel permeability with a more invasive approach involving endoscopy, mucosal biopsy, and oesophageal pH monitoring for rapidly differentiating gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) and cows' milk intolerance in 25 infants with persistent vomiting. Each subject underwent a cellobiose/mannitol permeability study, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with oesophageal and small bowel biopsies, and a 24 hour pH study. Reflux disease and/or cows' milk intolerance was responsible for vomiting in 24 (96%) of the subjects. Sixteen (64%) of the infants had GOR alone, four (16%) had GOR and cows' milk intolerance, and four (16%) had cows' milk intolerance alone. Morphometric analysis of small bowel biopsies was abnormal in 19% of the patients with GOR alone and in 67% with cows' milk intolerance with or without GOR. The permeability test was abnormal in only 6% of the patients with GOR but in 100% with GOR and cows' milk intolerance and in 100% with cows' milk intolerance alone. The non-invasive permeability study aimed at rapid determination of cows' milk intolerance should pre-empt a more invasive approach in the evaluation of infants with persistent vomiting.