1,721,001 research outputs found

    THE CHILD HYPOKINETIC AND THE OVERTRAINED

    No full text
    The early start to the sport of children still concerned scholars and researchers to the likely risks of competitive early, neglecting the safest procedure and come to damage caused by sedentary early. The child just started attending primary school turns his freedom of movement in a full-time sedentary. Physical activity and sport are fundamental stimuli for growth and improvement of physical, motor, mental and socialemotional in us. The lack of physical and sporting activity or excessive exercise can cause substantial damage during the growth phase, therefore we must respect the physiological limits dictated by the nature of the growth, and thus the primary purpose of the teachers and coaches should be that of the benefit of the children. The aim to examine some issues related to overtraining and the untrained

    A pediatric disease to keep in mind: diagnostic tools and management of bronchiectasis in pediatric age

    No full text
    Abstract Bronchiectasis in pediatric age is a heterogeneous disease associated with significant morbidity. The most common medical conditions leading to bronchial damage are previous pneumonia and recurrent lower airway infections followed by underlying diseases such as immune-deficiencies, congenital airway defects, recurrent aspirations and mucociliary clearance disorders. The most frequent symptom is chronic wet cough. The introduction of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) has improved the time of diagnosis allowing earlier treatment. However, the term “bronchiectasis” in pediatric age should be used with caution, since some lesions highlighted with HRCT may improve or regress. The use of chest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a radiation-free technique for the assessment and follow-up of lung abnormalities in non-Cystic Fibrosis chronic lung disease is promising. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis management needs a multi-disciplinary team. Antibiotics and airway clearance techniques (ACT) represent the pillars of treatment even though guidelines in children are lacking. The Azithromycin thanks to its antinflammatory and direct antimicrobial effect could be a new strategy to prevent exacerbations

    The predictive role of biomarkers and genetics in childhood asthma exacerbations

    Full text link
    Asthma exacerbations are associated with significant childhood morbidity and mortality. Recurrent asthma attacks contribute to progressive loss of lung function and can sometimes be fatal or near‐fatal, even in mild asthma. Exacerbation prevention becomes a primary target in the management of all asthmatic patients. Our work reviews current advances on exacerbation predictive factors, focusing on the role of non‐invasive biomarkers and genetics in order to identify subjects at higher risk of asthma attacks. Easy‐to‐perform tests are necessary in children; therefore, interest has increased on samples like exhaled breath condensate, urine and saliva. The variability of biomarker levels suggests the use of seriate measurements and composite markers. Genetic predisposition to childhood asthma onset has been largely investigated. Recent studies highlighted the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms even on exacerbation susceptibility, through involvement of both intrinsic mechanisms and gene‐environment interaction. The role of molecular and genetic aspects in exacerbation prediction supports an individual‐shaped approach, in which follow‐up planning and therapy optimization take into account not only the severity degree, but also the risk of recurrent exacerbations. Further efforts should be made to improve and validate the application of biomarkers and genomics in clinical settings

    Pulmonary Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor in Children: A Case Report and Brief Review of Literature

    Full text link
    The inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare lesion of unclear etiology and variable clinical course, consisting of a proliferation of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, mixed with inflammatory cells. Synonyms of IMT are inflammatory pseudotumor and plasma cell granuloma reflecting the alleged inflammatory nature attributed to this lesion, even though this heterogeneity in the disease denomination is probably involved in a dispersion of the literature data. Among primary pulmonary neoplasms, it represents the most frequent endobronchial tumor of childhood and beyond the lung it has been described mainly in the bladder, mediastinum and mesentery. Despite having a tendency for local recurrence, the risk of distant metastasis is low. Clinical presentation depends on localization therefore lung peripheral lesions are often asymptomatic resulting in a delayed diagnosis. Radiological findings can suggest the diagnosis that must be confirmed by histopathology assessment. The tumor has been characterized by the application of immunohistochemical techniques, molecular biology and cytogenetics, which are very precious for the diagnosis. The therapeutic approach consists in the complete surgical excision of the lesion that normally ensures excellent survival. Due to the potential risk of recurrence, close clinical trial is indicated. To date only 24 cases of pulmonary IMT have been described, although the prevalence is probably higher. We present a case report of a 3-year-old girl with pulmonary IMT and a brief review of known literature cases in order to highlight the most common clinical presentations, the most useful diagnostic tools and therapeutic approach

    Asthma and food allergy: Which risks?

    Full text link
    Over the past few decades, an increase in the prevalence of asthma and food allergy has been observed in the pediatric population. In infants, food sensitization, particularly to egg, has increased the risk of developing allergic asthma. This is even more likely if sensitization to food allergens occurs early within the first few years of life. It is indeed known that both diseases may be present simultaneously in the pediatric population, but coexistence may negatively influence the severity of both conditions by increasing the risk of life-threatening asthmatic episodes as well as food-related anaphylaxis. Therefore, an accurate clinical and phenotype characterization of this high-risk group of children with both asthma and food allergy and a more aggressive management might lead to reducing related morbidity and mortality. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview on the close link between food allergy and asthma and their negative mutual influence

    Use of symptoms scores, spirometry, and other pulmonary function testing for asthma monitoring

    Full text link
    Asthma is a global problem affecting millions of people all over the world. Monitoring of asthma both in children and in adulthood is an indispensable tool for the optimal disease management and for the maintenance of clinical stability. To date, several resources are available to assess the asthma control, first is the monitoring of symptoms, both through periodic follow-up visits and through specific quality of life measures addressed to the patient in first person or to parents. Clinical monitoring is not always sufficient to predict the risk of future exacerbations, which is why further instrumental examinations are available including lung function tests, the assessment of bronchial hyper-reactivity and bronchial inflammation. All these tools may help in quantifying the future risk for each patient and therefore they potentially may change the natural history of asthmatic disease. The monitoring of asthma in children as in adults is certainly linked by many aspects, however the asthmatic child is a future asthmatic adult and it is precisely during childhood and adolescence that we should implement all the efforts and strategies to prevent the progression of the disease and the subsequent impairment of lung function. For these reasons, asthma monitoring plays a crucial role and must be particularly close and careful. In this paper, we evaluate several tools currently available for asthma monitoring, focusing on current recommendations emerging from various guidelines and especially on the differences between the monitoring in pediatric age and adulthood

    Cow’s milk protein allergy as a model of food allergies

    Full text link
    Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is one of the most common food allergies in infants, and its prevalence has increased over recent years. In the present paper, we focus on CMA as a model of food allergies in children. Understanding the diagnostic features of CMA is essential in order to manage patients with this disorder, guide the use of an elimination diet, and find the best moment to start an oral food challenge (OFC) and liberalize the diet. To date, no shared tolerance markers for the diagnosis of food allergy have been identified, and OFC remains the gold standard. Recently, oral immunotherapy (OIT) has emerged as a new therapeutic strategy and has changed the natural history of CMA. Before this, patients had to strictly avoid the food allergen, resulting in a decline in quality of life and subsequent nutritional, social, and psychological impairments. Thanks to the introduction of OIT, the passive approach involving rigid exclusion has changed to a proactive one. Both the heterogeneity in the diagnostic process among the studies and the variability of OIT data limit the comprehension of the real epidemiology of CMA, and, consequentially, its natural history. Therefore, well-planned randomized controlled trials are needed to standardize CMA diagnosis, prevention, and treatment strategies
    corecore