June 20, 2000 – A simple test of breathing dry, cold air could diagnose asthma in children two to five years old. This is what Dr Hans Bisgaard, from the Pediatrics Department at the University Hospital of Copenhage, argues in a recently published research.
In the first such study, Dr Bisgaard compared the pulmonary response of 38 young asthmatics and 29 subjects used as controls. The test involves breathing cold, dry air mixed with 5% carbon dioxide through a mask that prevents breathing through the nose. The children were to hyperventilate by trying to hold a balloon in the air that appeared on a computer screen attached to the mask and reacted to the volume of air breathed.
The results showed that the test identified pulmonary hypersensitivity in 26 of 38 asthmatics while only two of 29 controls reacted positively. The interest of this research was to show that it is possible to substitute on awake children the cold air test for pharmacological tests with histamine or methacholine, which are long and can cause side effects. In contrast, the researchers report that the maximum response to the test occurred between three and five minutes after it was started.
According to the researchers, the success of this rather simple test depends on whether the child is comfortable with the procedure. During the study, the majority of the children seemed to have fun trying to float the virtual balloon. There have been no reports of complications or discomfort other than constriction of the bronchi, characteristic of the asthmatic response.
HealthPassport.net
Nielsen KG, Bisgaard H. Lung Function Response to Cold Air Challenge in Asthmatic and Healthy Children of 2-5 Years of Age. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000 Jun 1; 161 (6): 1805-1809.
