title: Perception of dyspnea in childhood asthma crisis by the patients and those in charge of them.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the correlation between perception of dyspnea during a mild to moderate asthma attack using the Modified Borg Scale (MBS) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study conducted with children and adolescents who sought a pediatric emergency service due to an asthma attack. Data were collected from July 2005 to June 2006. Demographic data were recorded. Patients and those in charge of them were requested to grade, individually, the patient's dyspnea using the MBS; afterwards, the peak expiratory flow rate was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  181 asthmatic patients were evaluated, with a mean age of 7.2 (± 2.4) years (range, 4-12). The mother sought medical aid in 83.4% of the cases (151/181). Patient symptoms included coughing in 68.5% (124/181), dyspnea in 47.0% (85/181), and wheezing in 12.7% (23/181). Thirty-six percent (65/181) had a mild attack, and 64.1% (116/181) a moderate one. A significant negative correlation was found between the patients' and accompanying adults' perceptions of patient's dyspnea and the PEFR (% predicted; rs = -0.240 and rs = -0.385, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the patients and those looking after them had a poor perception of the severity of the patient's dyspnea. This emphasizes the need to monitor objective measures such as the PEFR and to develop better ways of evaluating dyspnea.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. aaliceparente@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Ana Alice Amaral Ibiapina
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.forename: Maria Fátima Pombo
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: Lucia Araujo
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Evangelista
authors.forename: Antonio Ledo
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cunha
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index