Monitoring of the Respiratory Rate Recovery Time in Children with Asthma

Abstract

Pediatric asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Symptoms, such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, make it difficult for asthmatic children to keep up with their peers during sports and play. Healthy children recover quickly to baseline heart and respiratory rate after exercise. This physiological mechanism enables them to perform their typical frequent but short bursts of intense activity. In children with exercise induced bronchoconstriction the recovery of respiratory rate after exercise may be slower, as bronchoconstriction compromises ventilation. Therefore, this research focused on assessing the respiratory rate recovery time (RRRT) of asthmatic children in both the home setting and during the controlled setting of the exercise challenge test (ECT).