Prodromal symptoms of bronchial asthma in Egyptian children

ABSTRACT

One hundred and seventy children with bronchial asthma presenting to the out-patient allergy clinics of Pediatrics Cairo University and Benha Faculty of Medicine Hospitals were investigated. In 104 patients the over attack of asthma was preceded by a variety of symptoms. Some of these prodromal symptoms were related to the respiratory system as cough, sneezing and rhinorrhea and others were not as loss of appetite, pallor, fever, behavioural changes [e.g. irritability apathy and anxiety], sleep disorder, dark circles around the eyes, itching and abdominal pain. The interval between the occurrence of prodromal symptoms and the attack of asthma ranged from 6 to 48 hours. Each child has his own one or more prodromal symptom. The awareness of these prodromal features may enable an early introduction of treatment of asthma, thus avoiding or abbreviating some of the acute attacks of asthma