VALIDITY OF ASTHMA CONTROL TEST IN ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF CONTROL IN ASTHMATIC CHILDREN

Background: So far, in Egypt, there has been no effective or easy procedure to define the control of asthma. This study To assess the validity of asthma control test in assessment of level of control in asthmatic children visiting the allergy and pulmonology clinic; Al-Hussein Hospital ; Al-azhar University and the outpatient clinic; Sohag Teaching Hospital, Sohag governorate, Upper Egypt.
Methods: This is a prospective comparative study was done from 6/2015 to 7/2016 on one hundred asthmatic children of both sexes, in the age group between six and twelve years, Inclusion criteria:
1. Documented asthmatic children
2. Age 6-12 years
3. Different level of control
Exclusion criteria:
1. Children less than 6 years of age
2. Children with chronic chest diseases rather than asthma
3. Children with congenital or rheumatic heart diseases
4. Children with hospital admission in the last 4 weeks
All children was divided into controlled and uncontrolled asthma groups. All patients were classified according to GINA guidelines 2014 into 4 subgroups: intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent and severe persistent asthma. All of them completed the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the Peak Expiratory Flow Meter (PEFM) at the allergy and pulmonology clinic; Al-HusseinHospital; Al-azharUniversity and the outpatient clinic; Sohag Teaching Hospital, Sohag governorate, Upper Egypt. (8 weeks apart).
Results: Regarding ACT and PEFM scores, we found that both increased steadily from the 1st week to the 8th week. This rise is statistically significant from as early as the second week, with highly significant differences (P Value >0.001).
ACT was significantly better among controlled than uncontrolled patients from the 1st to 6th weeks. On the other hand, PEFM was significantly higher among controlled than uncontrolled patients in the first week only (P Value>0.001).
There was a steady increase in the control percentages of cases compared to the first week taken as the baseline; this was statistically significant from as early as the second week (P 0.015, 0.129, 0.862, 0.649, 0.524, 0.514, 0.513, 0.715 respectively).