LAUSR

Aim Asthma is a common chronic airway disease among children worldwide. Multiple risk factors including viral infections and environmental trigger factors could maintain the airway inflammation leading to persistent respiratory symptoms among children with asthma. This study was conducted to identify, patient reported symptoms and common environmental risk factors in a cohort of asthma children in 7–14 years with persistent symptoms. Method Cross sectional descriptive study conducted after obtaining the ethical clearance. The cohort consisted physician diagnosed asthma patients on regular steroid inhalers attending to outpatient clinics. Patients recruited after informed consent and data collected by an interviewer administered questionnaire over one month period. Data gathered on basic demographic details, comorbidities and common environmental risk factor based on ISAAC environmental risk factor assessment questionnaire. Patients demonstrated poor compliance (defined as forgetting inhaler steroids more than 5 days per month) and incorrect inhaler technique were excluded from the study. Results 115 patients in 7–14 years age category were interviewed and 82 reported having persistent respiratory symptoms. 22 patients had poor compliance and incorrect inhaler technique. Remaining 60 patients were assessed for reported symptoms and environmental risk factors. 28 (47%) were males. Patient reported symptoms were; wheezing (70%), dry cough (60%), exertional dyspnoea (33%) and chest tightness (13%). Half the patients reported more than one symptom. 77% (46) of them reported having allergic rhinitis. Daily exposed to vehicle fumes while travelling to school (97%), use of joss sticks inside the house (57%) were identified as most common environmental risk factors. Further, 27% of patients directly exposed to animal dander from domestic pets, 10% of them exposed to mosquito coils and cooking fumes inside the house and only 4% exposed to tobacco smoke at home. Conclusion Wheezing and dry cough were the commonest persistent respiratory symptoms and daily exposure to vehicle fumes while travelling to school and use of joss sticks inside the house were identified as most common environmental risk factors among the examined asthmatic children.