Houston Area Pediatric Specialists

Independent pediatric specialists aim to serve our community. We want to share news and analysis regarding our specialties and our practices.


Monday, February 18, 2013

Asthma or Pneumonia?


Perhaps an association between both, according to a recent study investigating the role of a bacteria commonly associated with "walking pneumonia" in children. Dr. Susarla

M. pneumoniae IgM higher in children with asthma

Mycoplasma pneumoniae may play a key role in pediatric asthma, according to study data published online.

 Tamar A. Smith-Norowitz, PhD
, of the department of pediatrics and the Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, N.Y., and colleagues published data on specific anti-M. pneumoniae immunoglobulin M, IgG and IgE antibody responses in 23 patients with asthma and 13 control patients.
All patients were aged younger than 20 years, had a physician’s diagnosis of asthma or current clinically defined persistent asthma symptoms, or both, along with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis with elevated serum IgE levels (>100 IU/mL). Patients were recruited from the Pediatric Asthma Clinic at Kings County Hospital Center, and outpatient pediatric offices in Brooklyn.
The researchers said, “Asthmatic subjects had higher levels of specific IgM [anti-M. pneumoniae antibodies] levels compared with non-asthmatics. In addition, IgM positivity was significantly higher in asthmatic compared with non-asthmatic subjects.”
M. pneumoniae may be more common or persistent in children with asthma than other populations, they said. However, further data are needed because the sample size of this study was small.
“Atypical respiratory infection such as M. pneumoniae continues to be a significant concern in children with asthma. More research is needed to identify high risk groups and develop intervention strategies directed at children with asthma,” Smith-Norowitz told Infectious Diseases in Children.
Although the researchers assessed respiratory tract infection incidence, they said it was only assessed by patient recall, which could have limited the results.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Health Tip: Does Asthma Affect Your Sleep?


Health Tip: Does Asthma Affect Your Sleep?

Take medications as your doctor prescribes
By Diana Kohnle
Friday, January 25, 2013
(HealthDay News) -- Asthma can affect your sleep, as symptoms often worsen at night.
The National Sleep Foundation offers this advice to help control asthma and enjoy a better night's sleep:
  • Take all medications as prescribed, at the same time each day.
  • Use a peak flow meter regularly to monitor changes in lung function.
  • Learn what your asthma triggers are, and take steps to avoid those triggers.
  • Get plenty of sleep each night.
  • Ask your doctor about the potential benefits of an anti-inflammatory medication.
HealthDay