Association between Second-Hand Exposure to E-Cigarettes at Home and Exacerbations in Children with Asthma
Serena Costantino,
Arianna Torre,
Simone Foti Randazzese,
Salvatore Antonio Mollica,
Federico Motta,
Domenico Busceti,
Federica Ferrante,
Lucia Caminiti,
Giuseppe Crisafulli,
Sara Manti
Affiliations
Serena Costantino
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Arianna Torre
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Simone Foti Randazzese
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Salvatore Antonio Mollica
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Federico Motta
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Domenico Busceti
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Federica Ferrante
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Lucia Caminiti
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Giuseppe Crisafulli
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Sara Manti
Pediatric Unit, Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98124 Messina, Italy
Several studies have shown the effects of e-cigarettes in adults. Nowadays, few data are available in the pediatric population. This study aims to assess the relationship between asthma exacerbations and home exposure to e-cigarettes. We conducted a pilot, retrospective, monocenter, observational study. Demographic and clinical data were collected, including number of asthma exacerbations, need for rescue therapy and/or therapeutic step-up, and Asthma Control Test (ACT) and children-Asthma Control Test (c-ACT) scores. The cohort consisted of 54 patients (5–17 years old), divided into two groups: A, including patients exposed to e-cigarette aerosols; B, including unexposed patients. The statistical analysis showed no relevant variation in the number of asthma symptomatic days and need for rescue therapy in group A versus group B (p = 0.27 and 0.19, respectively). There were no statistically significant variations when also considering the number of patients who needed a therapeutic step-up (p = 0.3). The mean values of ACT and c-ACT were, respectively, 17.2 ± 7.6 and 18.3 ± 5.6 in group A and 19.6 ± 3.8 and 14.6 ± 5.8 in group B (p = 0.3 and 0.4, respectively). Although we did not find a statistically significant correlation between second-hand e-cigarette exposure and asthma exacerbations, our findings suggest that asthmatic children exposed second-hand to e-cigarettes may have increased risk of asthma symptomatic days. Future research is warranted.
