Vol. 9, No 2, 2002 pp. 175 - 180
UC 616.248-053.5+340.62 
ASTHMA QUALITY OF LIFE AS A MARKER OF DISEASE SEVERITY
AND TREATMENT EVALUATION IN SCHOOL CHILDREN
Svetlana S. Pljaskić-Kamenov1, Dragoslav V. Djordjević2, Stojan S. Radić3, Borislav A. Kamenov4
1Health Center, Niš
2Clinic of Pulmology, Clinical Center, Niš
3Department of Pathophisiology, Medical Faculty, Niš
4Clinic of Pediatrics, Clinical Center, Niš, Yugoslavia
Summary. The parameters of the quality of life in school age asthma inflicted children were analyzed and correlated to clinical, inflammatory parameters and pulmonary function disorders during 3 month inhalatory corticosteroide treatment. The testing has included 125 asthma patients 7 to 17 years old who were symptomatic. Out of this number there were 40 female subjects and 85 male ones, mean age 12.14. Criteria for severity of asthma included the following: daily symptoms; exacerbations affecting activity and/or sleep; nighttime asthma symptoms experienced more than once per week; daily use of a ?2-agonist; and PEF and FEV1. Diagnosis of asthma has been given on the basis of the following: anamnesis, eosinophils in periphery blood and running nose, allergy test with inhalatory allergens according to "prick method", total and specific IgE, spyrometric parameters, data from the symptoms list, estimate of the degree of dyspnea according to Borg's scale, answers from the quality of life questionnaire according to Juniper. T-test has established no significant difference in the changes of quality of life scores and the age of the children (p>126). Statistically significant difference has been found in the changes of the quality of life scores and sex of the children. Better results have been obtained with the male sex. The difference in relative changes of the scores of the quality of life and the severity of the disease (p>125) has been not found statistically significant. Results of T-test changes in AQLQ score before and after therapy show statistical significance in all categories. The greatest changes in the domain of symptoms have been obtained within the categories of wheezing and chest tightness. The best results in the domain of emotions have been obtained within the categories of embarrassment, anger, frustration and worry. The best results in the domain of activity are obtained in the category of physical activities and activities with friends and family. The score of the total quality of life showed statistically significant improvements after the use of beclomethasone dipropionate.
Key words:  Asthma, quality of life, corticosteroids
PROCENA KVALITETA ŽIVOTA KOD ASTME
KAO MARKER TEŽINE BOLESTI I USPEHA LEČENJA U ŠKOLSKE DECE
Kratak sadržaj: Analizirani su parametri kvaliteta života kod školske dece obolele od astme i korelisani sa kliničkim, inflamatornim parametrima, poremećajima plućne funkcije u periodu od tri meseca u toku kog vremena je primenjivana infalatorna terapija kortikosteroidima. Testiranjem je obuhvaćeno 125 dece uzrasta 7 do 17 godina sa simptomima bolesti. Bilo je 40 devojčica i 85 dečaka srednje vrednosti uzrasta 12,14. Kriterijumi za procenu težine astme su bili: dnevni i noćni simptomi koji su se javljali više puta nedeljno, dnevno korišćenje ?2 agonista i promene PEF i FEV1. Dijagnoza astme je postavljana na bazi sledećih elemenata: anamneza, eozinofilija u perifernoj krvi i nosnom sekretu, alergološkom ispitivanju "prick" metodom, ukupnom i specifičnom IgE, spirometrijskim parametrima, podacima iz liste simptoma, procene stepena dispneje po Borgu, odgovora na pitanja o kvalitetu života po Juniperu. T test pokazuje da nema značajne razlike u promeni kvaliteta života u zavisnosti od uzrasta dece (p>125). Postoji statistički značajna razlika u promeni kvaliteta života vezano za pol dece. Bolji su rezultati kod muške dece. Ne postoji statistički značajna razlika promene kvaliteta života u odnosu na težinu bolesti. Rezultati promene kvaliteta života u toku primene terapije inhalatornim kortikosteroidima pokazuju statistički značajne promene u svim kategorijama. Najveće promene u domenu simptoma pokazuju se u kategoriji zviždanja i stezanja u grudima. Najbolji rezultati u domenu emocija su neudobnost, ljutnja, frustracija i zabrinutost. Najbolji rezultati u domenu aktivnosti su dobivene u kategorijama fizičke aktivnosti i aktivnosti sa prijateljima i porodicom. Ukupni skor kvaliteta života pokazuje statistički značajno poboljšanje posle upotrebe beclomethasone dipropionate-a.
Ključne reči: Astma, kvalitet života, kortikosteroidi