title: [Variability in clinical profile of asthmatic child referred from allergy clinic--ten years of observation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is the most frequent chronic respiratory disease in children. Underdiagnosis is frequent, which results in undertreatment and, consequently, in rising asthma morbidity and mortality rates. The delay in the diagnosis of asthma seems to precisely reflect problems with a proper realization of the goals of the diagnostic part of the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines. We attempted to assess the clinical profile of children who were referred to allergy clinic followed by asthma diagnosis, we consider especially demographic and social data.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the group of 907 children with diagnosis of asthma between 2000 and 2009. This was cross-sectional study assessing demographic, social and clinical characteristic. All variables were tested over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed change in clinical profile of children checking into the clinic over time. The new profile includes: younger age of patient, higher frequency of recurrent infections, lower frequency of wheezes and atopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  New clinical profile of patients referred to allergist reveals the need of costly differential diagnosis of asthma in specialized centers. This should be included in new strategies in the health care system in Poland.
authors.affiliation: Zakład Medycyny Społecznej, Katedra Medycyny Społecznej i Zapobiegawczej Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Łodzi Kierownik.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bąk-Walczak
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jerzyńska
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stelmach
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krakowiak
authors.forename: Włodzimierz
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stelmach
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology