A program for children with severe asthma: impact analysis.

Introduction: Asthma is a major economic burden to families and public healthcare since it leads to a large number of emergency room (ER) visits and hospital admissions. Whereas healthcare programs for children with asthma have proved to be very effective to improve the course of the disease, there is less information about programs for children with severe asthma.

Objective: To comparatively analyze the impact of the Healthcare Program for Children with Severe Asthma (Programa de Atención de Niños con Asma Grave, PANAG).

Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation: clinical features, pathological concepts and management in 172 cases.

Objective: Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) is the most common surgically resected pulmonary malformation in children. This retrospective study was undertaken to present the experience of 172 CCAM cases in a pediatric hospital.

Methods: Published series with a small number of patients reports details of lesions, progress and management.

[Early antibiotic treatment for eradication of initial infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis].

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis is a genetic autosomal recessive disease that affects approximately 1:6000 live births in our country. Chronic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is associated with higher morbidity and-mortality, and deterioration of lung function. Treatment of initial infection is important to prevent or delay chronic infection.

[Validation of a clinical prediction tool to evaluate severity in children with wheezing].

Introduction: Acute lower respiratory infection in children usually causes Bronchial Obstructive Syndrome, which could include hipoxemia. Although pulse oximetry (SaO2) is the gold standard to evaluate hipoxemia, it is usually estimated from a clinical score not yet validated. We aimed to validate the respiratory distress score used in Argentina and to compare its performance with the one used in Chile.

Beta 2-adrenergic polymorphisms and total serum IgE levels in children with asthma from Argentina.

Background: Beta 2-Adrenergic receptor polymorphisms occurring at amino acid positions 16 (arginine/glycine) and 27 (glutamine/glutamic acid) are known to be functionally relevant. Associations with several asthma-related phenotypes, such as total serum IgE, have been investigated with different results.

Objective: To determine the contribution of polymorphisms and haplotypes of beta 2-adrenergic receptor with serum IgE levels in children from Argentina with mild, moderate, and severe asthma.

Lower respiratory infections by adenovirus in children. Clinical features and risk factors for bronchiolitis obliterans and mortality.

Unlabelled: Adenovirus (Ad) respiratory infections have a profound impact in Argentina. Severe chronic disease and a high mortality rate are observed in children after acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) by Ad.

Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed to describe clinical characteristics and to analyze risk factors for bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) and death in 415 children hospitalized with ALRI caused by Ad from March 1988 to May 2005.

Growth in post-viral chronic lung disease.

Introduction: Acute lower respiratory infection due to adenovirus is an important cause of chronic lung disease (CLD) in infants. The objectives of this paper is to describe growth in the height and weight of children with post-viral chronic lung disease (PVCLD) and to relate it with associated variables (invasive mechanical ventilation, chronic hypercapnia, oxygen therapy at home and steroid treatment).

Materials And Methods: Ninety-nine patients with diagnosis of PVCLD with one or more years of follow-up were included in the study.

The impact of infection with human metapneumovirus and other respiratory viruses in young infants and children at high risk for severe pulmonary disease.

We conducted a prospective, observational study to characterize the clinical manifestations of respiratory infections caused by human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and other viruses in 194 premature infants and young children with chronic lung disease or congenital heart disease in Buenos Aires. Children had 567 episodes of respiratory illness and were monitored until they were 2 years old or until the completion of the study. hMPV elicited 12 infections (2%) year-round; 30% were of moderate or greater severity.