prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm in soccer player children, ages 7 to 16 years

This study represents an attempt to determine the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm among soccer player children. A total of 234 soccer player boys of all soccer schools from Shahr-Rey enrolled in this study. They did not have any history of a recent or chronic respiratory tract disease, a history of allergic diseases, and history of bronchodilator drugs consumption during the 24 hours prior to the study. Pulmonary function test [PFT] was performed for each participant before exercise and 6 and 15 minutes after playing soccer. The diagnosis of EIB was by a decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] by at least 10% and in peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR] by at least 15% with exercise challenge. If there was reduction in one parameter alone, the participants were considered as prone to EIB. Considering both FEV1 and PEFR the prevalence of EIB was 2.1% and 18.4% were prone to EIB. If FEV1 or PEFR tests were used as criteria for diagnosis of airway obstruction, the prevalence of EIB would be 6% and 15.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the post of players, family history of allergic disease and EIB in soccer players. This study suggests that at least 2.1% of soccer players will develop bronchospasm even if they do not have any history of asthma and allergy

Pulmonary pseudomonas colonization in cystic fibrosis

Respiratory tract mucus plugging and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [PA] colonization in cystic fibrosis patients can influence the health indices, morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to evaluate the relation between pulmonary infection with PA and its effects on respiratory function test and some health-related parameters. This study was a cross-sectional study. Thirty CF patients, who were admitted to GI department of Children Medical Center because of gastrointestinal and/or pulmonary disturbances, were enrolled in this study. Management began by taking a medical history, physical examination, sputum or pharyngeal swab for culture and antibiogram, spirometric assessment for cooperative children [over 6 years old] and filling out a questionnaire for the abovementioned items and some health related parameters [weight, mean hospital stay days, mean absent days from school, and mean ICU admission time during the last year]. The mean [ +/- SD] age was 6.39 [ +/- 5.88] years [11 females, 19 males]. Pseudomonas aeruginosa grew in sputum or pharyngeal swab of 13 cases [43.3%], did not grow in 12 cases [40%] and other organisms grew in 5 cases [16.7%]. Mean of hospitalization period was higher in cases with positive culture [31.83 Vs 13.08 days, Paired sample t-test, P= 0. 005]. Mean [ +/- SD] predicted FEV1% was 34.6 [ +/- 28.0], but this difference was not significant in age, age of diagnosis, days of ICU hospitalization, absent days from school, days of using respiratory assistance equipments, days of antibiotics administration during the last year, body weight, predicted FEV1%, predicted FEV1/FVC% and predicted FEF 25-75%. Prevention and early treatment of PA colonization can reduce hospital stay and its cost. Further large controlled trials are required in this regard