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

Abstract

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

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of asthma and respiratory health-related quality of life in adults 30 years after hospitalization for bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infancy.

Methods: Patients who were hospitalized for bronchiolitis or pneumonia at age under 24 months in 1981-1982 have been followed in repeated visits. In 2010, 48 of the 83 former patients with bronchiolitis (57.8%), 22 of the 44 former patients with pneumonia (50.0%), and 138 matched controls participated in the clinical study at the age of 28-31 years. The participants completed a structured questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and underwent 2-week peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring. Asthma was defined as doctor-diagnosed and self-reported asthma based on doctor-prescribed medication for asthma, the presence of asthma-presumptive symptoms, and the results of home PEF monitoring.

Results: Both doctor-diagnosed asthma (31.3% vs. 10.9% adjusted P = 0.002) and self-reported asthma (35.4% vs. 14.5% 0.003), as well as repeated on-demand use of bronchodilators (35.4% vs. 14.5% 0.002), and regular use of inhaled corticosteroids (20.8% vs. 8.7% 0.023) were more common in former bronchiolitis patients than in controls. Former bronchiolitis and pneumonia patients had higher total SGRQ scores than controls. The median scores were 5.4 (IQ(25-75) 0.0-14.7, P < 0.001) in bronchiolitis group, 4.9 (1.3-14.8, 0.012) in pneumonia group compared to controls 1.5 (0.0-6.0).

Conclusion: Hospitalization for bronchiolitis in infancy is associated with an increased risk of asthma, and an increased use of asthma medication in adulthood at the age of 28-31 years. Impaired respiratory health-related quality of life in adulthood as measured by the SGRQ is present after bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infancy.

Keywords: Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire; adulthood; child; outcome; prediction; wheezing.