Reduction in Asthma Morbidity in Children as a Result of Home Remediation Aimed

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_Environ Health Perspect._ (javascript:AL_get(this, 'jour', 'Environ Health

Perspect.') 2006 Oct;114(10):1574-1580. _Links_

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Reduction in Asthma Morbidity in Children as a Result of Home Remediation

Aimed at Moisture Sources.

* _Kercsmar CM_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_AbstractPlus & term= " Kercsmar+CM " [Author]) ,

* _Dearborn DG_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_AbstractPlus & term= " Dearborn+DG " [Author]) ,

* _Schluchter M_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_AbstractPlus & term= " Schluchter+M " [Author]) ,

* _Xue L_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_AbstractPlus & term= " Xue+L " [Author]) ,

* _Kirchner HL_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_AbstractPlus & term= " Kirchner+HL " [Author]) ,

* _Sobolewski J_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_AbstractPlus & term= " Sobolewski+J " [Author]) ,

* _Greenberg SJ_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_AbstractPlus & term= " Greenberg+SJ " [Author]) ,

* _Vesper SJ_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_AbstractPlus & term= " Vesper+SJ " [Author]) ,

* _Allan T_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_AbstractPlus & term= " Allan+T " [Author]) .

Case Western Reserve University, Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies

and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

ObjectiveHome dampness and the presence of mold and allergens have been

associated with asthma morbidity. We examined changes in asthma morbidity in

children as a result of home remediation aimed at moisture sources.DesignIn

this

prospective, randomized controlled trial, symptomatic, asthmatic children (n

= 62), 2-17 years of age, living in a home with indoor mold, received an

asthma intervention including an action plan, education, and individualized

problem solving. The remediation group also received household repairs,

including

reduction of water infiltration, removal of water-damaged building materials,

and heating/ventilation/air-conditioning alterations. The control group

received only home cleaning information. We measured children's total and

allergen-specific serum immuno-globulin E, peripheral blood eosinophil counts,

and

urinary cotinine. Environmental dust samples were analyzed for dust mite,

cockroach, rodent urinary protein, endotoxin, and fungi. The follow-up period

was

1 year.ResultsChildren in both groups showed improvement in asthma

symptomatic days during the preremediation portion of the study. The remediation

group

had a significant decrease in symptom days (p = 0.003, as randomized; p =

0.004, intent to treat) after remodeling, whereas these parameters in the

control group did not significantly change. In the postremediation period, the

remediation group had a lower rate of exacerbations compared with control

asthmatics (as treated: 1 of 29 vs. 11 of 33, respectively, p = 0. 003; intent

to

treat: 28.1% and 10.0%, respectively, p = 0.11).ConclusionConstruction

remediation aimed at the root cause of moisture sources and combined with a

medical/behavioral intervention significantly reduces symptom days and health

care

use for asthmatic children who live in homes with a documented mold problem.

PMID: 17035145 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]