EVALUATION
OF ALLERGEN AVOIDANCE PROGRAM IN BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IN CHILDREN
Zeitoun AA
Suez Canal University Hospital, Ismailia, Egypt
Objective:
To develop and implement a simple program of allergen avoidance in houses
of asthmatic children and to evaluate the effect of such program on the
burden of asthma in these children.
Methods: This controlled
clinical trial was carried out in the outpatient clinic of Suez Canal
University hospital. The study included sixty asthmatic children aged 5 –
12 years. Children were
randomly assigned to three intervention groups: allergen avoidance group
(AAP), pharmacotherapeutic prevention group (PP) and control group. Children were followed up for 9 –
12 months to evaluate the burden of asthma in these intervention groups by
three measures: asthma activity days (D), sickness nights (N), and
hospitalization (H).
Results: clearly demonstrated
the important value of any prevention program (either allergen avoidance or
drugs) in decreasing the burden of asthma in children regardless to the
severity of disease. AAP proved to be superior to PP in decreasing the
number of sickness nights with significant asthma symptoms in all grades of
severity. AAP also significantly decreased asthma activity days in children
with moderate persistent asthma when compared to drug prevention. This
difference is not noticed in mild or severe persistent asthma. Also both
AAP and PP had similar effects regarding hospitalization in all degrees of
severity.
Conclusion: A simple allergen
avoidance program in houses of all asthmatic children greatly decreases the
burden of illness and should be an integral part of asthma control
programs.