Anticholinergics as treatment for childhood asthma

Abstract

• Respiratory viruses isolated in the upper airway are commonly found in the lower airway [6]. • Viral typing has shown that viruses do not colonise the airway. A new group of HRV was found about five years ago and several studies have now shown that this group, HRV-C, is responsible for up to 60% of acute asthma exacerbations in children. Some of these studies have also shown that HRV-C causes more severe exacerbations that other HRV groups or other viruses [2]. Further evidence of the increased pathogenicity of HRV-C compared with other viral groups comes from the observation that HRV-C isolation rates in children with more severe acute exacerbations are much higher than in control children. Other viral groups, particularly other HRV groups, show smaller differences in isolation rates between exacerbation and control children. HRV-C appears to be more of a problem in younger children, as isolation rates are lower in adults with acute asthma exacerbations. In summary, acute virus infections are now established as the cause of the majority of acute asthma exacerbations in children and a newly-discovered viral group, HRV-C, is the most common viral cause of more severe asthma exacerbations.