Bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infancy - asthma, lung function and quality of life at a 30-year
follow-up
Sammanfattning
Bronchiolitis and pneumonia in
infancy have been associated
with respiratory morbidity,
lung function impairment and
lower health-related quality of
life (HRQoL) in later life. The
aim of the present study was to
study 30-year sequelae of
bronchiolitis and pneumonia in
infancy. In 1981–1982, 83
children were hospitalized for
bronchiolitis and 44 for
pneumonia at Kuopio
University Hospital at less than
2 years of age. In 2010, 48
(58%) bronchiolitis and 22
(50%) pneumonia patients and
138 controls attended the
clinical study. Asthma was
defined as doctor-diagnosed or
self-reported asthma as an
indicator of the certainty of the
diagnosis. Participants
completed St. George´s
Respiratory Questionnaire as a
HRQoL tool and underwent
pre-bronchodilatation (pre-BD)
and post-BD spirometry.
Doctor-diagnosed asthma was
significantly more common in
bronchiolitis patients (31%)
compared to controls (9%).
Self-reported asthma was also
significantly more common in
bronchiolitis group (35%)
compared to controls (15%).
Asthma figures were similar in
the former pneumonia patients
and in controls. In addition,
hospitalization for bronchiolitis
or pneumonia in infancy was
associated with an impaired
HRQoL and irreversible
obstructive lung function
impairment in adulthood.