Prevalencia del asma en escolares chilenos: estudio descriptivo de 24.470 niños: ISAAC-Chile / Prevalence of asthma in Chilean school age children: descriptive study in 24.470 children

Background: There is little information about the prevalence of asthma in Latin American children. Aim: To determine the prevalence of asthma among Chilean school age children. Subjects and methods: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms related to asthma in schoolchildren aged 7 and 13 years, coming from South Santiago, Central Santiago, Valdivia and Punta Arenas, was determined using the methodology of the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISMC). A random sample of school children aged 6-7 and 13-14 years from each locality was selected. This resulted in 24)470 surveyed children (11,723 aged 6-7 years and 12,747 aged 13-14 years). Results: The current prevalence of wheezing ("wheezing in the last 12 months") ranged from 16.5 percent to 20.- percent in children aged 67 years, and from 6.8 percent to 11.7 percent in children aged 13-14 years. The cumulative prevalence of asthma ("asthma ever"), ranged from 9.7 percent and 16.5 percent in the 6-7 years group and from 7.3 percent to 12.4 percent in those aged 13-14 years. Conclusions: This study found much higher figures for prevalence of respiratory symptoms related to asthma in school children than those previously reported in this country, with a significant variability between centers (p<0.05). The prevalence of asthma in Chilean schoolchildren is as high and variable as that reported in industrialized countries

Tres casos pediátricos de loxoscelismo cutáneo en zona rural de Valdivia: Chile / Three pediatric cases of cutaneous loxoscelism in rural area

Three cases of cutaneous loxoscelism in patients under two years of age from Valdivia are described. Clinical and epidemiological aspects of loxoscelism are commented