79 Prevalence and Classification of Asthma in Freshmen Students of a Guatemalan University and its Relationship With Aeroallegens Sensitization

BACKGROUND: Establish the prevalence and classification of asthma in young adults and determine the sensitization to common aeroallergens. METHODS: ISAAC modified questionnaire for asthma in first year students between the ages of 18 to 22 years old, who attend the morning hours at the Universidad Rafael Landivar of Guatemala. Between the months of July throw October of 2009 on the campus of Guatemala City. We selected the students who meet the criteria for asthma and request and informed consent for the participation. In 70 students who accepted. We performed: Peak flow with a hand held apparatus and used the GINA questionnaire parameters for classification. We performed prick test with a panel of 8 aeroallergens and its positive and as negative controls to determine sensitization. RESULTS: Prevalence of asthma was the 23% according to the ISAAC modified questionnaire. Of this group of 287 students, 70 accepted to participate in the study. According to GINA guideliness: 56% classify as mild intermittent, 5% mild persistent, 33% as moderate persistent and 6% as severe persistent. In accordance to control: 54% appear to be controlled, 42% partly controlled and 4% uncontrolled. In the prick test the results of positive sensitization were: Canis familiaris 35%, Felis domesticus 37%, D. pteronyssinus 76%, D. Farinae 77%, Cynodon dactylon 19%, Zea mays 26%, Eucalyptus globulus 17% and Casuarina equisetifola 16%. CONCLUSIONS: Almost one quarter of population were classified as asthmatics using the ISSAC modified questionnaire. Dahl report, a prevalence of asthma in various countries of Europe between 16 and 37% in people 16 to 29 years old.1 Most of the students who participate, classified in the category of mild intermittent asthma, but one third of the students belong to the moderate persistent category. We found that a large percentage of the students were sensitized to aeroallergens, most of them, to both of species of dust mites. Heinzerling, refer sensitization of 25 to 67% for mites in various countries of Europe.2