Dyspnea in children with diagnosed asthma and undiagnosed asthma, a cross- sectional study

Background : Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory condition that significantly affects pediatric populations globally. This study aims to describe the subjective perception of dyspnea in asthma crisis in children with diagnosed asthma and not diagnosed asthma. Methods: This study employs a cross-sectional observational design aimed to evaluate the subjective perception of dyspnea in two distinct pediatric groups. The study involved a cohort of 38 children, in Hospital Mother Teresa, Tirane. Box plot comparing and Pearson s correlation coefficient were used to compare values of Borg scale in both groups, at admission and after 6 hours. Results: Children in the previously diagnosed asthma, DA group, demonstrated a more severe baseline level of dyspnea, as indicated by higher Borg scale scores, with an average initial score of 5.04. Following the reintroduction of treatment, this group experienced a substantial reduction in symptoms, with Borg scale scores decreasing to an average of 1.95, representing a significant improvement of 3.1 points. In contrast, children in the newly diagnosed asthma, NDA group, exhibited milder symptoms at the outset, with an average initial Borg scale score of 4.06. Post treatment, their scores improved to an average of 1.82, marking an improvement of 2.2 points. Pearson s coefficient correlation in Borg at admission and after 6 hours (0.016) showed a significant improvement in dyspnea scale. Pearson s coefficient at admission was significant (<0.001) in both diagnosed and not diagnosed patients. Pearson s coefficient was not significant (0.627) in both diagnosed and not diagnosed children with asthma after 6 hours of treatment. Conclusion: The greater improvement in the Borg scale for the DA group suggests that previously diagnosed children, despite presenting with more severe symptoms initially, experience more substantial benefits from treatment reintroduction. This highlights the potential impact of earlier treatment interruptions on symptom severity and suggests that continuous treatment can lead to better outcomes.