title: [Fractional exhaled nitric oxide in monitoring and therapeutic management of asthma].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by hyper-responsiveness and bronchial inflammation. The bronchial inflammation in these patients can be monitored by measuring the fractional exhaled nitric oxide. This study aims to determine fractional exhaled nitric oxide association with peak expiratory flow and with asthma control inferred by the Global Initiative for Asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational, analytical and cross-sectional study of children with asthma, 6-12 years-old, followed in the Outpatient Respiratory Pathology of Braga Hospital. Sociodemographic and clinical information were collected through a questionnaire. fractional exhaled nitric oxide and peak expiratory flow were determined by portable analyzer Niox Mino® and flow meter, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample is constituted by 101 asthmatic children, 63 (62.4%) of males and 38 (37.6%) females. The mean age of participants in the sample is 9.18 (1.99) years. The logistic regression performed with the cutoff value obtained by ROC curve, revealed that fractional exhaled nitric oxide (b(FENO classes) = 0.85; χ(2)Wald (1) = 8.71; OR = 2.33; p = 0.003) has a statistical significant effect on the probability of changing level of asthma control. The odds ratio of going from "controlled" to "partly controlled/uncontrolled" is 2.33 per each level of fractional exhaled nitric oxide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The probability of an asthmatic children change their level of asthma control, from 'controlled' to 'partly controlled/uncontrolled', taking into account a change in their fractional exhaled nitric oxide level, increases 133%.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Ciências da Saúde. Universidade do Minho. Braga. Portugal.. brunoabmelo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Saúde Comunitária. Escola de Ciências da Saúde. Universidade do Minho. Braga. Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrício
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pediatria. Hospital de Braga. Braga. Portugal.
authors.forename: Ariana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pediatria. Hospital de Braga. Braga. Portugal.
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pediatria. Hospital de Braga. Braga. Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pediatria. Hospital de Braga. Braga. Portugal.
authors.forename: Augusta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Saúde Comunitária. Escola de Ciências da Saúde. Universidade do Minho. Braga. & Serviço de Pediatria. Hospital de Braga. Braga. Portugal.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D045853:Exhalation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide