Volume 14, Number 11—November 2008
Dispatch
Novel Human Rhinoviruses and Exacerbation of Asthma in Children1
Nino Khetsuriani, Xiaoyan Lu, W. Gerald Teague, Neely Kazerouni2, Larry J. Anderson, and Dean D. Erdman
Table 1
Criteria and definitions used in the study of children with asthma, March 2003–February 2004 (10)
| Category | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Current persistent asthma: | |
| In children 2–5 y of age | All of the following: 1. Physician diagnosis of asthma 2. >2 previous episodes of cough, wheeze, and/or respiratory distress 3. Current treatment with asthma medications 4. Parent or sibling with current or past diagnosis of asthma or allergy, and/or current or past evidence of atopy (defined by seasonal rhinitis, eczema, or food hypersensitivity) |
| In children 6–17 y of age |
All of the following:
1. Physician diagnosis of asthma
2. Symptoms of asthma in the past 12 mo
3. Current treatment with asthma medications |
| Case (asthma exacerbation) |
Current persistent asthma, hospital admission or clinic visit for asthma exacerbation, and all of the following:
1. Signs and symptoms of airflow obstruction (i.e., cough, wheeze, shortness of breath, chest
tightness) within past 48 h
2. Increased asthma symptoms resulting in hospital admission or clinic visit
3. Repeated use of short-acting β-agonists within past 48 h
4. Increased dose or addition of a new asthma controller therapy within past wk |
| Control (well-controlled asthma) |
Current persistent asthma, routine clinic visit for asthma, and all of the following:
1. No systemic steroid therapy in past 4 wk
2. No increase in dose and no new controller medications in past wk
3. No change in the frequency of use of short-acting rescue medications in past wk
4. No increase in asthma symptom frequency in past wk |
| Acute respiratory viral illness | >2 of the following: fever, stuffy/runny nose, headache, muscle aches, and pain or redness of eye(s) at the time of clinic visit or hospital admission |
