Control de asma en adolescentes

Background: The clinical assessment of asthma control is fundamental to evaluate the results of treatment. The Asthma Control Test (ACT) is a questionnaire with five scored items, that differentiates between a well controlled or uncontrolled asthma. It has a Spanish version and has been applied in different countries. Aim: To assess asthma control using the ACT and compare it with the clinical assessment of specialists in a group of pediatric patients. Material and methods: The ACT was applied to 220 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, 54% males, with persistent asthma, attended at a respiratory disease unit of a pediatric hospital. The concordance between ACT results and the assessment of specialists was also evaluated. Results: According to ACT and specialists, asthma was controlled in 54% and 63% of patients, respectively. There was a weak concordance between ACT and specialists assessment (Kappa Index: 0.27; 95% confidence intervals: 0.140.4). The degree of asthma control decreased along with increasing severity of the disease (χ 2 = 10.128, p =0.001). Conclusions: Half of the evaluated asthmatic adolescents do not have an adequate control of their disease. Severity of the disease is inversely related to the degree of control (Rev Med Chile 2008; 136: 859-66). (Key words: Adolescent; Asthma; Questionnaires)