A multi-stage asthma screening procedure for elementary school children.
This paper describes an asthma screening procedure developed to identify children with asthma for an intervention study. Students were classified into three categories based on questionnaire responses (previous asthma, suspected asthma, and no evidence of asthma). Those classified as suspected asthma by questionnaire underwent further testing, including spirometry and exercise challenge. Using the questionnaire alone, the measured asthma prevalence was 32%; the addition of spirometry and step testing reduced this estimate to 9.89%. The diagnosis of asthma was confirmed in 96% of children who saw the study physician. This screening procedure can identify school children with suspected undiagnosed asthma.
Gerald
Lynn B
LB
Lung Health Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35233-7337, USA. geraldl@uab.edu
Redden
David
D
Turner-Henson
Anne
A
Feinstein
Ronald
R
Hemstreet
Mary Pat
MP
Hains
Coralie
C
Brooks
C Michael
CM
Erwin
Sue
S
Bailey
William C
WC
D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D013147:Spirometry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires