Quality of life among asthmatic children in Zagazig University Hospitals

Background: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease, usually characterized by chronic airway inflammation. The Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) is one of the most widely used instruments for measuring health-related QOL in children with asthma.Objective: to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with bronchial asthma to identify the most important determinants adversely affecting their QOL.Patients and methods: This study was conducted on 72 asthmatic children over six months period. They were recruited from The Outpatient Clinic of Pediatrics Pulmonology Unit, Zagazig University Hospitals. All study patients were subjected to complete history taking, clinical examination, determination of level of asthma symptom control and filling PAQLQ.Results: About 58% of patients had partially controlled asthma and one quarter of them had well controlled asthma (Symptoms domain was the most affected domain ranged from 3 to 5.2 with mean 4.056). There was statistically significant relation between sex and physical, emotional and overall score of PQLQ. There was statistically significant relation between residence & social class and QOL scores. There was statistically significant relation between BMI and QOL scoresConclusion: Asthma significantly adversely affects the QOL of the affected children. Control of the main determinants of QOL scores might improve the QOL of these patients

The serum thyroid hormone profile in mechanically ventilated children: Does euthyroid sick syndrome exist?

Background: The term "euthyroid sick syndrome" refers to alterations in thyroid function testing during critical illness. Mechanically ventilated children's thyroid hormone levels may be altered, although the reason for this remains a mystery.Objective: This study was aimed to evaluate thyroid hormone profile in mechanically ventilated children and their correlation with mortality.Patients and Methods: Thirty-four mechanically ventilated children were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. On the first and third days of mechanical ventilation, serum TSH, FT3, FT4 and reverse T3 were measured.Results: The mean age of the studied patients was of 31.06 ± 35.94 months. After three days of mechanical ventilation, the serum levels of FT3 and FT4 in the blood were significantly lower than the serum levels on the first day. The serum reverse T3 levels increased significantly on the third day of mechanical ventilation compared to the first day. There was a statistically significant increase in the number of patients with low FT3 and FT4 serum levels on the third day compared to the first day. Twenty-two patients (64.7%) died, and the frequency of low FT3 among dead patients was signiisignificantlycantly higher than among surviving patients.Conclusions: It could be concluded that the mechanically ventilated children had signs of euthyroid sick syndrome, shown by low levels of FT3 and FT4 and a rise in rT3 without a compensatory rise in TSH. Serum FT3 and FT4 decreased, but reverse T3 increased, on the third day of mechanical ventilation compared to the first day. Patients who had low FT3 levels died at a higher rate