Introduction The coronavirus 2019 disease (Covid‐19) pandemic led to a number of measures being introduced in many countries worldwide. Lockdowns were imposed on individuals aged <18 years, education was delivered online, and mask‐wearing was made compulsory in public places, resulting in an unprecedented period for children. Real‐life data showing how children with asthma are affected by major changes are limited. This study investigated how asthmatic children are affected by pandemic conditions based on real‐life data. Methods Patients with asthma aged 6–18 years followed up from March to May 2019—before the Covid‐19 pandemic—were included in the study. Data from March to May 2020 and 2019 were then compared to reveal the effects of pandemic‐related lifestyle changes on symptoms, frequency of exacerbations, and drug use in asthmatic children. Results Eighty‐six children with asthma aged 6–18 years were included in this study. Time spent inside the home was significantly higher in 2020 than in 2019. Rescue medication requirements and emergency department visits were significantly lower in 2020 compared to 2019 ( p < 0.001). The number of well‐controlled patients with asthma was higher in 2020 than in 2019 ( p < 0.0001). The number of patients using prophylactic drugs within the previous 3 months was lower in 2020 compared to 2019 ( p = 0.007). Conclusion The present study yielded valuable insights, based on real‐life data, into the condition of children over the age of 6 years during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Numbers of asthmatic exacerbations, rescue drug use, and asthma control were positively affected in school‐aged children with asthma during the pandemic.
Background/Objectives Mastocytosis is a complex disorder presenting with a broad clinical spectrum. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the frequency of systemic symptoms, necessity of the usage of epinephrine autoinjectors (EAI), and factors affecting the use of EAI among pediatric patients with cutaneous mastocytosis (CM). Methods The study population was composed of 53 patients with CM. The clinical data were collected from the medical files. A questionnaire about the patient's anaphylaxis experiences and treatment attitudes toward EAI was performed. Results Thirty‐three of 53 patients were male (62.3%), and the median age of the study participants was 80 months. Anaphylaxis was reported in two patients (3.7%). One of the patients had drug‐induced anaphylaxis, and the other had venom‐induced anaphylaxis. Three patients (5.6%) reported a personal history of EAI use due to systemic symptoms. Patients with higher serum tryptase level and cases of familial mastocytosis had more systemic symptoms (P = .012 and P = .010, respectively). The patient rate of compliance with EAI for prescription filling and carrying the EAI was 88.7% and 79.2% respectively. 41.5% of parents were hesitant to use EAI when necessary, although they were trained for the use of it by medical staff. Conclusions The rate of anaphylaxis in patients with CM in the current study wassignificant and justifies prescribing EAI. Detailed education and counseling on EAI usage are needed to reduce parental hesitancy.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the differences in attitudes and views towards influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in parents of children with asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and Methods: Asthmatic children in the 6-18 age group who were admitted to the pediatric allergy clinic of our hospital between October 1, 2020 and February 31, 2021 were included in the study. The parents were given a questionnaire asking about their demographics and medical history. Their attitudes and thoughts towards these two vaccines, both before and during the pandemic, and their COVID-19 stories were questioned.Results: A total of 78 patients diagnosed with asthma were included in this study.While the rate of influenza vaccination before the pandemic was 29.5%, the rate of those who received or wanted to receive influenza vaccine during the pandemic was 71.8% (p = 0.001). It was observed that the rate of influenza vaccination during the pandemic increased with the regular use of asthma medication, the presence of atopy, and a history of COVID-19 infection in the family/close environment. In total, 69.2% of the parents stated that their child's pneumococcal vaccination was incomplete or they were unaware of their child's vaccination status. Conclusion:This study demonstrated that there was an increase in the rate and willingness of parents of asthmatic children to have their children vaccinated against influenza during the COVID-19 pandemic. As for the pneumococcal vaccine, the majority of the parents did not have enough information or they were unaware of the vaccination status of their children. K E Y W O R D S allergy, asthma and early wheeze, COVID-19, influenza vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine 1 | INTRODUCTION After the World Health Organization (WHO) reported cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019, it was understood that the causative agent of the disease was a new type of virus from the Coronavirus family detected for the first time in humans on January 7, 2020 and was named severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 on January 19, 2020. The disease was abbreviated as COVID-19 and was declared a global pandemic by the WHO in March 2020. 1 Studies have shown that mortality and morbidity in COVID-19are associated with certain chronic diseases. 2 Diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, chronic lung diseases, hypertension and cancer in adults, and diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, chronic lung diseases, cancer, immunodeficiencies, and chronic kidney failure in children increase the mortality and morbidity related to COVID-19. 3,4 Regarding asthma, the most common chronic disease of childhood,
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