Katri Backman

Increased asthma risk and impaired quality of life after bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infancy

Recent studies have revealed that adulthood asthma has its origin in early childhood.

Adults face increased asthma risk after infant RSV bronchiolitis and reduced respiratory health-related quality of life after RSV pneumonia

To evaluate the association between hospitalisation for respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract infection (RSV LRTI) in infancy and asthma, respiratory health‐related quality of life and lung function at 28–31 years of age.

Irreversible airway obstruction in adulthood after bronchiolitis in infancy: evidence from a 30-year follow-up study.

AIM Lower respiratory infections in infancy may be associated with lung function deficits in adulthood. Our aim was to evaluate lung function, with a special focus on irreversible airway obstruction, thirty years after bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infancy. METHODS In 1981-1982, 83 children under two years of age were hospitalized for bronchiolitis and 44 for pneumonia at Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. In 2010, 47 bronchiolitis patients, 22 pneumonia patients and 138 controls attended the study, including spirometry before (pre-BD) and after bronchodilatation (post-BD). The measured indices were forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), that were presented as % of predicted value (FVC% and FEV1%). FEV1/FVC was presented as both absolute FVC/FEV1-ratio and % of predicted (FEV1/FVC%). Irreversible airway obstruction was defined as post-BD FEV1/FVC% below 88% of predicted (FEV1/FVC% <88%) according to Finnish reference values or FEV1/FVC-ratio below fifth percentile (FEV1/FVC <5th percentile), according to Global Lung Function Initiative reference values. RESULTS All lung function indices were lower in former bronchiolitis patients and pre- and post-BD FEV1% in pneumonia patients, compared to controls. 21% of bronchiolitis (OR, 95%CI; 5.59, 1.72-18.21) and 9% of pneumonia patients (2.24, 0.34-13.56) had FEV1/FVC% <88% compared to controls (4%). Likewise 7 (15%) of bronchiolitis (7.07, 1.33-37.22) and 1 (5%) of pneumonia patients (1.73, 0.12-24.77) had FEV1/FVC <5th percentile compared to controls 2 (1%). CONCLUSION Evidence of reduced lung function was present 30 years after hospitalization for bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infancy. Irreversible airway obstruction after severe bronchiolitis in infancy suggests permanent, structural alterations in airways.

Low eosinophils during bronchiolitis in infancy are associated with lower risk of adulthood asthma

Infant bronchiolitis may be the first manifestation of asthma.

Prospective study confirms that bronchiolitis in early infancy increases the risk of reduced lung function at 10-13 years of age

This study evaluated children hospitalised for bronchiolitis at less than six months of age to see if they had reduced lung function in early adolescence.

Asthma and Lung Function in Adulthood after a Viral Wheezing Episode in Early Childhood

Viral aetiology of infection has a significant role in the long‐term outcome of early‐childhood wheezing.

National treatment guidelines decreased the use of racemic adrenaline for bronchiolitis in four Finnish university hospitals

Inhaled racemic adrenaline was used for bronchiolitis in many hospitals in Finland prior to new national current care guidelines for bronchiolitis in 2014, which limited its recommendations to on‐demand rescue therapy. We studied the drugs use before and after the new guidelines to gauge changes in prescribing habits.

Long-term effects of pneumococcal colonization during early childhood wheezing

Bacterial colonization during wheezing in early childhood has been associated with short‐term relapses of wheezing, but no study has addressed the effects of Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization on long‐term outcome of wheezing. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate whether pneumococcal (PNC) colonization during the first wheezing episode in early childhood is a determinant of asthma, atopy or lung function in the long term.