title: Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide for Identification of Uncontrolled Asthma in Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the utility of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FENO) in the identification of uncontrolled asthma in children on therapy, and to identify its cut-off value for determining asthma control.
  
  
  METHODS
  207 children (age 5-15 y) with physician-diagnosed asthma on therapy with at least 12 months follow up were enrolled. Spirometry and FENO measurements were performed. Asthma control was assessed as per GINA guidelines. Sensitivity and specificity of various cut-off values of FENO (15 ppb, 20 ppb, 25 ppb, 30 ppb) for identification of status of control of asthma were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  156 (75%) children had uncontrolled or partly controlled asthma and 51 children were assessed to have controlled asthma. Median (IQR) FENO in children with controlled and uncontrolled asthma was 16 (11-23) ppb and 13 (11-25) ppb, respectively (P=0.26). No FENO cut-off had a reasonable combination of sensitivity and specificity to discriminate between controlled and uncontrolled asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FENO, in itself, does not have good discriminatory value in assessment of controlled and uncontrolled asthma in children on asthma therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India. Correspondence to: Professor SK Kabra, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi-110 029, India. skkabra@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Raj Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Meena
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lodha
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kabra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D045853:Exhalation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D012372:ROC Curve; D013147:Spirometry
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009569:Nitric Oxide