만성기침을 하는 10세 이하의 소아에서 알레르기 요인과 MAST와의 연관성

Correlation with MAST and Allergic Factors in Chronically Coughing Children under the Age of 10 years

Purpose: The recent increase in the incidence of allergic diseases coincides with the increased proportion of allergic diseases as the cause of chronic cough. This has led to the anxiousness of parents about their children with the use of antibiotics in the majority of the cases. Therefore, the differentiation of the cause of the chronic cough will lead to the decrease of unnecessary treatment with effecttive prevention and treatment. The purpose of this study is to identify the correlation between allergic factors and Multiple Allergosorbent Test (MAST). Method: A total of 45 children between the ages of 1 through 10 years with at least 3 weeks of chronic cough were included in the study. MAST, eosinophil count and total IgE were tested. The patient’s personal history of atopic dermatitis, bronchiolitis, family history of allergy, smoking by family, pets and floor covering of the home were reviewed extensively. Results: Twenty-six children of 46 children (68.9%) were tested positive for MAST and 19 children were tested negative. The factors that were strongly correlated to the results of the MAST were the age (7-10 years), history of atopic dermatitis, family history of allergy and total IgE. However, smoking by family, pets, floor coverings of the house and eosinophil count were not relevant to the results of the MAST. Conclusion: I could identify significant contributors through MAST in chronically coughing children and it will lead to improve them with good treatment result.