Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · Sep 2012
Review Meta AnalysisExposure to farming environments in childhood and asthma and wheeze in rural populations: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder that has become substantially more common over the past decades. One environmental factor for which particularly strong associations with asthma and allergic diseases have been described is exposure to farming environments in childhood. The aim of this systematic review was to update and extend existing narrative reviews, test for heterogeneity of effect across studies, and conduct a meta-analysis to report a summary effect measure. ⋯ The protective 'farm-effect' on asthma was reported in numerous studies. Its underlying factors ought to be studied, and promising efforts have been already made. However, the heterogeneity of the effect across studies should also be investigated because whatever causes it is a potential threat to valid synthesis of evidence and to the detection of specific protective factors.
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · Sep 2012
Breathlessness perception assessed by visual analogue scale and lung function in children with asthma: a real-life study.
In children with asthma, discrepancies between objective indicators of airway obstruction and symptom perception are often observed. Although visual analogue scale (VAS) has been proposed as a useful tool for assessing accurate symptom perception, previous studies conducted in children with asthma included only small cohorts. A study was therefore designed to investigate the usefulness of VAS in establishing a reliable relationship between breathlessness perception and lung function in a large cohort of children with clinical diagnosis of asthma. ⋯ The present study demonstrates that VAS might be considered a useful tool to assess symptom perception, mainly in children with airflow limitation.
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · Sep 2012
A survey study of index food-related allergic reactions and anaphylaxis management.
Initial food-allergic reactions are often poorly recognized and under-treated. ⋯ Only one-third of initial food-allergic reactions with symptoms of anaphylaxis were recognized and treated with epinephrine. Fewer than half of patients were referred to allergists. There is still a need to increase education and awareness about food-induced anaphylaxis.