title: [Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections in children and allergy. A cross-sectional study of 100 cases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Upper respiratory tract (URT) infections are common in children. The knowledge of their risk factors allows in some cases better management. The aim of our study is to evaluate the role of allergy in this pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Through a cross-sectional study about 100 children having recurrent URT infections, we evaluated the prevalence of allergy in order to find a relation between the two pathologies in general, and between allergy and each recurrent pathology. The results were compared with those of a reference group involving 164 children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study confirms a statistically significant association between allergy and recurrent URT infections (p=0.01), also between allergy and rhinopharyngitis (p=0.02), rhinosinusitis (p=0.001) and acute otitis media (p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Allergy represents a risk factor for recurrent URT infections, particularly for rhinopharyngitis, rhinosinusitis and acute otitis media. Adequate management of allergy may consequently be beneficial for the treatment and the prevention of these infections.
authors.affiliation: Service d'ORL et de chirurgie cervico-faciale, Hôpital Habib Thameur, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Chiraz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mbarek
authors.forename: Amel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akrout
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khamassi
authors.forename: Olfa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ben Gamra
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hariga
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben Amor
authors.forename: Sarra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zribi
authors.forename: Abdelkader
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Khedim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology*