PECULIARITIES OF THE COURSE OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IN CHILDREN AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISEASES
Keywords:
Asthma; Acute respiratory infections; Pediatrics; EpidemiologyAbstract
Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood worldwide. Globally, an estimated 262 million people were affected by asthma in 2019, with about 461,000 asthma deaths. Although asthma prevalence is generally lower in Asia and developing regions compared to Western countries, it remains a significant pediatric health issue. At the same time, acute respiratory diseases (ARDs) – from common viral colds to pneumonia – are the leading causes of pediatric morbidity and mortality in low-income settings. In many Central Asian countries including Uzbekistan, environmental and socio-economic factors contribute to a high burden of respiratory infections in children. Notably, population-based data show clear temporal links between acute respiratory infections and asthma exacerbations or progression to more severe asthma phenotypes. For example, epidemiologic studies have described associations between childhood ARIs and later development of severe, fixed-airflow asthma (often called the asthma–COPD overlap syndrome). Furthermore, in children with established asthma, viral or bacterial respiratory infections of the upper airways are well-known triggers of wheezing episodes and asthma flares. Hence, understanding how asthma unfolds against a background of frequent ARDs is crucial for pediatric health planning in the region. This study investigates the relevance and interplay of acute respiratory infections with the clinical course of bronchial asthma in children from Uzbekistan and surrounding areas, with an emphasis on local epidemiology and management implications.
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