Is there an association between wheezing and pneumonia?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship in school aged children between wheezing and pneumonia prior, during, or following the pneumonia episode.


METHODS
One hundred and three children with community acquired pneumonia who were hospitalised were recruited along with 55 controls.


RESULTS
During hospitalisation wheezing was audible in 11/103 (10.6%) patients with pneumonia and in none of the controls (p=0.009). Wheezing ever or asthma was elicited in 29/103(28%) patients with pneumonia and in 8/55 (14.5%) of the controls and this difference was not significant. Two years after the hospitalisation with pneumonia, wheezing episodes occurred in 12/103 with pneumonia and 1/55 of the controls (p=0.034). Among those who developed asthma following pneumonia 11/12 also had wheezing prior to pneumonia.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an excess of wheezing prior, during, and after an episode of pneumonia in school aged children and therefore children with pneumonia should be followed up carefully.
Moustaki
M
M
School of Medicine, University of Athens, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece. maria-m@otenet.gr
Nicolaidou
P
P
Stefos
E
E
Vlachou
V
V
Patsouri
P
P
Fretzayas
A
A
D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires