Sofija Cerovic

Asthma School Program in children and their parents

BackgroundThis study was undertaken to analyze the clinical efficiency of Asthma Education Intervention (AEI, Asthma School) in children and their parents, a program was designed to produce acceptable asthma knowledge and to improve the treatment.MethodsThis study assessed the effectiveness of an educational intervention within 12 months after attending Asthma School. The study was designed as a population based cohort study. The project endorsed by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Educational Grant was launched in 2004 and finished in 2006, but the Asthma School continued working. Three hundred and two asthmatics recruited during hospital treatment of acute asthma exacerbation completed the study together with their parents. The intervention group of 231 asthmatics received full Asthma School program. The non-intervention group enrolled 71 asthmatics receiving usual instructions for asthma management. Clinical and educational outcomes were investigated immediately after completion of the program and 12 months later.ResultsSignificant achievements were found in the intervention group in asthma knowledge (baseline score 63%, 82% after 12 months, P<0.05), compliance (70% before, 90% after), and inhalation technique (20% before, 70% after). No change was found in the attitude and behavior regarding asthma prognosis in adolescent patients and parents.ConclusionThis study together with others clearly confirm the effectiveness of educational intervention for childhood asthma.

Prevalence of childhood asthma and allergies in Serbia and Montenegro

BackgroundThis is the first multi-center epidemiological study on the prevalence of childhood asthma in Serbia and Montenegro. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) phase 3 is a large epidemiological multinational and multicentric study on the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in children.MethodsThe 12-month period prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema was calculated using an ISAAC phase 3 questionnaire for two age groups: 6–7 years old and 13–14 years old.ResultsIn the 13 485 children from five study centers who responded to the questionnaire, the prevalence for childhood asthma ranged from 2.5% to 9.8%, for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (hay fever) from 4.6% to 21%, and for eczema from 8.2% to 17.2%. The prevalence of current wheezing was high in both age groups (16.5% and 12.4% respectively).ConclusionsThe prevalence of asthma is higher in 6–7 years old school children in the urban and largest cities of Belgrade and Nis, and in 13–14 years old children in Podgorica. The prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in the school children of Serbia and Montenegro seems similar to that of other countries in Central and South-Eastern Europe.

The Serbian Version of the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire in Daily Practice

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children and adolescents and a serious global health problem, thus severely affecting the health related quality of life (HRQL). This study was aimed at exploring the potential role of the Serbian, self administered version of the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) in the routine clinical evaluation of children suffering from bronchial asthma. One hundred Serbian children and adolescents (62 males and 38 females), aged 7 to 17 years, affected by allergic asthma, were enrolled. Each patient was evaluated once, and asthma control and severity were assessed, spirometry was performed, FeNO measurements were performed and the patients completed the self-administered version of the PAQLQ. PAQLQ differed according to asthma severity, NO variation and Asthma Control Test (ACT) score. No correlations were found between the questionnaires score and FEV1 percent of predicted. The Serbian version of the PAQLQ is a feasible aid to clinical measurements and used in routine practice gives a good insight into asthma control and severity.

Clinical Implications and Facts About Allergic Rhinitis (AR) in Children

Zorica Zivkovic1,2, Sofija Cerovic2, Ivana Djuric-Filipovic1, Zoran Vukasinovic3,4, Jasmina Jocic-Stojanovic2 and Aleksandra Bajec-Opancina5 1US Medical School, European University, Belgrade 2Children’s Hospital for Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical Center “Dr Dragisa Misovic”, Belgrade 3Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 4Institute of Orthopaedic Surgery „Banjica“, Belgrade 5Mother and Child Health Care Institute, Belgrade Serbia

P55 - Air-pollution and respiratory symptoms in children

Studies of school environment and related health diseases in pediatric population have been performed recently. The European Commission, through the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs, funded the study on Health Effects of School Environment held in different European countries. Levels of air pollutants can be several folds higher exposures are prolonged. Since children spend a large part of the day in school environment, nationwide initiatives to evaluate such indoor air quality (IAQ) were developed.

PD51 - Children with asthma exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) and inhaled corticosteroids treatment

Results There were 59.9% of boys and 50.1% of girls (mean age 10.83). Average dose of Fluticasone propionate (FP) was 225.11±119.98mcg per day per child. Among ETSE children, 208 were with one, 129 with both smoking parents, 228 had smoking mother and 238 had smoking father. ETSE children received statistically higher dose of FP, and dose of FP incresed with increasing of number of smokers in the family (F=45.41, p<0.001). ETSE children had lower lung function parameters before and after the IC, and the influence of mother and both smoking parents on lung function was more pronounced than fathers alone. After the 6 months of IC, both groups of children significantly improved lung function tests, no difference between groups.