Patients were considered to have definite asthma if a physician had made a diagnosis of asthma and/or if each of the following three conditions were present, and they were considered to have probable asthma if only the first two conditions were present: history of cough with wheezing, and/or dyspnoea, OR history of cough and/or dyspnoea plus wheezing on examination. Substantial variability in symptoms from time to time or periods of weeks or more when symptoms were absent. Two or more of the following: Sleep disturbance by nocturnal cough and wheeze. Non-smoker (14 years or older). Nasal polyps. Blood eosinophilia higher than 300/µL. Positive weal and flare skin tests OR elevated serum IgE. History of hay fever or infantile eczema OR cough, dyspnoea and wheezing regularly on exposure to an antigen. Pulmonary function tests showing one FEV1 or FVC less than 70% predicted and another with at least 20% improvement to an FEV1 of higher than70% predicted OR methacholine challenge test showing 20% or greater decrease in FEV1. Favourable clinical response to bronchodilator.
Patients were excluded from our previous study if any of these conditions were present:Pulmonary function tests that showed FEV1 to be consistently below 50% predicted or diminished diffusion capacity. Tracheobronchial foreign body at or about the incidence date. Hypogammaglobulinaemia (IgG less than 2.0 mg/mL) or other immunodeficiency disorder. Wheezing occurring only in response to anaesthesia or medications. Bullous emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis on chest radiograph. PiZZ alpha1-antitrypsin. Cystic fibrosis. Other major chest disease such as juvenile kyphoscoliosis or bronchiectasis.
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1–2. Asthma Predictive Index (API) |
Major criteria | Minor criteria |
Physician diagnosis of asthma for parents. Physician diagnosis of eczema for patient.
| Physician diagnosis of allergic rhinitis for patient. Wheezing apart from colds. Eosinophilia (≥4%).
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