Evolutionary lung function evaluated by impulse oscillometry in preschoolers with asthma

Abstract

Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is useful for measuring lung function in preschool children.

Our objective was to describe the alterations and evolutionary profile of IOS in asthmatic children under 6 years of age after one year of follow-up.

Patients and Method: 62 preschoolers performed IOS at the beginning of the study and after one year. The proportion of altered IOS and bronchodilator response (BR +) at both times was compared, in addition to sub-analysis according to asthma control and presence of atopy. For the statistical analysis, we used McNemar’s c² and the Student’s t-test with a 5% α error.

Results: The initial IOS was altered in 80.6% and in 64.5%% after one year (p = 0.04). 77.4% of the children presented BR+ at the beginning of the study and 83.9% after one year. The uncontrolled asthma group presented a significant improvement in the X5 and D5-20 means, but the controlled asthma group did not. In atopic patients, only uncontrolled asthmatics improved X5, AX, and D5-20.

Conclusion: IOS shows alterations in a high percentage of preschoolers with uncontrolled asthma, which decreases significantly at one year, but remains altered and with BR + in most children. Additional studies are required to identify different preschool asthma phenotypes and their evolution with treatment.