Genotype-Guided Asthma Treatment Reduces Exacerbations in Children: Meta-Analysis of Two RCTs.

Background: Long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA) in combination with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are commonly used to treat asthma, however, some children lack response to the addition of LABA. This might be partially due to the presence of the Arg16Gly polymorphism, encoded by rs1042713 G>A in the ADRB2 gene. Carrying the A allele (Arg16) at this variant has been associated with an increased risk of exacerbations despite LABA treatment.

Risk factors for intensive care admission in children with severe acute asthma in the Netherlands: a prospective multicentre study.

Rationale: Severe acute asthma (SAA) can be fatal, but is often preventable. We previously observed in a retrospective cohort study, a three-fold increase in SAA paediatric intensive care (PICU) admissions between 2003 and 2013 in the Netherlands, with a significant increase during those years of numbers of children without treatment of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).

Objectives: To determine whether steroid-naïve children are at higher risk of PICU admission among those hospitalised for SAA.

Intravenous magnesium sulphate in children with acute wheeze: a nationwide survey.

Objective: Dutch guidelines recommend to consider intravenous magnesium sulfate (iv MgSO) as a treatment option in case of failure of first line treatment in both children with exacerbations of acute episodic viral wheeze (AEVW) and acute asthma (AA). The implications on the actual use of iv MgSO iv in daily practice in both groups are unknown. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional nationwide survey to evaluate the use of iv MgSO in children with AEVW and AA.

Barriers and Facilitators When Implementing Web-Based Disease Monitoring and Management as a Substitution for Regular Outpatient Care in Pediatric Asthma: Qualitative Survey Study.

Background: Despite their potential benefits, many electronic health (eHealth) innovations evaluated in major studies fail to integrate into organizational routines, and the implementation of these innovations remains problematic.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe health care professionals' self-identified perceived barriers and facilitators for the implementation of a Web-based portal to monitor asthmatic children as a substitution for routine outpatient care. Also, we assessed patients' (or their parents) satisfaction with this eHealth innovation.

Multidisciplinary treatment in children with problematic severe asthma: A prospective evaluation.

Objective: For children with problematic severe asthma, achieving adequate control of asthma is difficult. The aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the effects of intensive multidisciplinary inpatient treatment on multiple outcome variables in children with problematic severe asthma.

Methods: Participants were 89 children with problematic severe asthma (mean age 13.

Frequency and Duration of Rhinovirus Infections in Children With Cystic Fibrosis and Healthy Controls: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background: Respiratory viral infections are an important cause of morbidity in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, such as cystic fibrosis (CF). We hypothesized that patients with CF are more susceptible to human rhinovirus (HRV) infections than healthy controls.

Methods: In a 6-month winter period, 20 young children with CF (0-7 years) and 18 age-matched healthy controls were sampled biweekly for HRV-polymerase chain reaction using nasopharyngeal swabs, irrespective of respiratory symptoms.

Respiratory tract infections and asthma control in children.

Introduction: Asthma control is considered the major goal of asthma management, while many determinants of control are difficult to modify. We studied the association between respiratory infection episodes (RTIs) of various types and asthma control.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were used from children aged 4-18 years with physician-diagnosed asthma who participated in a web-based electronic portal for children with asthma, allergies or infections.

The expert network and electronic portal for children with respiratory and allergic symptoms: rationale and design.

Data on baseline characteristics of children with asthma to predict individual treatment responses are lacking. We aimed to set up a data-collection system which can easily fill this gap in clinical practice.A web-based application was developed, named 'Portal for children with respiratory and allergic symptoms', hereafter called Electronic Portal (EP).

Highly frequent infections with human rhinovirus in healthy young children: a longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are an important cause of respiratory tract infections.

Objectives: We questioned whether the high prevalence rates of HRVs found in epidemiological studies is due to long-term individual continuity or a result of frequent infections with different HRV subtypes.

Study Design: In a 6-month winter period 18 healthy controls, aged 0-7 years, were at least sampled every two weeks for HRV-PCR, irrespective of respiratory symptoms.

Prevalence and impact of respiratory viral infections in young children with cystic fibrosis: prospective cohort study.

Objective: We aimed to investigate differences in upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms in relation to respiratory viral infections detected with polymerase chain reaction assays in young children with cystic fibrosis and healthy control subjects.

Methods: In a 6-month winter period, 20 young children with cystic fibrosis and 18 age-matched, healthy, control subjects were contacted twice per week for detection of symptoms of an acute respiratory illness. If any symptom was present, then a home visit was made for physical examination and collection of nasopharyngeal swabs for viral analysis.

Prevalence and pathogenicity of WU and KI polyomaviruses in children, the Netherlands.

A longitudinal study in 2004 and 2005 detected polyomaviruses WU and KI in 44% and 17% of children with and without respiratory symptoms, respectively, in the Netherlands. In some children both viruses were detected for long periods. In several symptomatic children no other respiratory pathogen was detected.

Respiratory pathogens in children with and without respiratory symptoms.

Objectives: To investigate the occurrence of respiratory pathogens in samples from children with and without respiratory symptoms and to identify whether age and/ or coinfections modify the impact of respiratory pathogens on symptoms.

Study Design: In a prospective longitudinal study, 18 children were sampled biweekly for respiratory pathogens, irrespective of respiratory symptoms. Polymerase chain reaction was performed for 13 respiratory pathogens.

RSV mediates Pseudomonas aeruginosa binding to cystic fibrosis and normal epithelial cells.

Cystic fibrosis lung disease typically has a course of exacerbations and remissions, suggesting that external factors like viral infections can influence this course. Clinical data suggest synergism between respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. We studied the influence of RSV infection on adherence of P.

Viral respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis.

Viral respiratory infections in CF patients are associated with an increase in morbidity at short and long term. Viral infections have a greater impact on CF patients compared to non-CF controls. They result in increased respiratory symptoms, deterioration of Shwachman and radiological scores, prolonged hospitalizations, a persistent decrease of pulmonary function, increased use of antibiotics and a higher frequency of exacerbations at follow-up.