Abstract
BackgroundOesophageal atresia (OA) is a congenital malformation that can lead to persistent respiratory symptoms in adulthood.AimTo describe the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in adulthood in a population-based study of patients with repaired OA and to compare this with the prevalence in the general population.MethodsOf 80 patients operated for OA in Gothenburg in 1968–1983, 79 were located. The patients received a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms. Controls were 4979 gender- and age-matched subjects who answered the same questions.ResultsThe questionnaire was answered by 73 of 79 (92%) patients. Physician-diagnosed asthma was reported by 30% in the OA group vs 10% in the control group (OR 4.1; 95% CI 2.4–6.8), and recurrent wheeze in 29% vs 5.5% (OR 6.9; 4.1–11.6). Also wheeze during the last year, asthma medication, a long-standing cough, cough with sputum production and chronic bronchitis were significantly more common among the patients with OA. In contrast, there was no significant difference regarding risk factors for asthma. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms did not appear to decrease with age.ConclusionA high prevalence of respiratory symptoms remains among adult patients with repaired OA. Many of the patients had an asthma diagnosis. However, asthma heredity or allergic rhinitis was not overrepresented.
Highlights
Oesophageal atresia (OA) is a congenital malformation that was previously fatal
To make our study comparable to previous studies on respiratory symptoms in patients with repaired OA, we focused on 12 questions related to respiratory symptoms, allergy and smoking
The main finding in this study is the high prevalence of respiratory symptoms in adulthood in the OA group compared with the controls, including a diagnosis of asthma and the use of asthma medication
Summary
Oesophageal atresia (OA) is a congenital malformation that was previously fatal. In the last few decades, OA has become a condition with a survival rate exceeding 90% [1]. We know that respiratory symptoms, dysphagia and gastrooesophageal reflux (GER) are overrepresented when the subjects reach adulthood [2,3]. There are many factors that could contribute to the respiratory symptoms after the repair of OA. Oesophageal atresia (OA) is a congenital malformation that can lead to persistent respiratory symptoms in adulthood. Aim: To describe the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in adulthood in a population-based study of patients with repaired OA and to compare this with the prevalence in the general population. The patients received a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms. Wheeze during the last year, asthma medication, a long-standing cough, cough with sputum production and chronic bronchitis were significantly more common among the patients with OA. Conclusion: A high prevalence of respiratory symptoms remains among adult patients with repaired OA.
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