Predicting changes in clinical status of young asthmatics: Clinical scores or objective parameters?

Preventing asthma exacerbation is an important goal of asthma management. The existing clinical tools are not good in predicting asthma exacerbations in young children. Childhood Asthma Control Test (C‐ACT) was recently published to be a simple tool for assessing disease control in young children. This study investigated C‐ACT and other disease‐related factors for indicating longitudinal changes in asthma status and predicting asthma exacerbations. During the same clinic visit, asthma patients aged 4–11 years completed the Chinese version of C‐ACT and underwent exhaled nitric oxide and spirometric measurements. Blinded to these results, the same investigator assigned Disease Severity Score (DSS) and rated asthma control according to Global Initiative for Asthma. Asthma exacerbations during the next 6 months were recorded. Ninety‐seven patients were recruited, with their mean (standard deviation [SD]) age being 9.2 (2.0) years. Thirty‐six (37.1%) patients had uncontrolled asthma at baseline. C‐ACT, DSS, and FEV1 differed among patients with different control status (P