The Dual Role of Infection in Asthma of Childhood

Abstract

Clinical criteria have been developed for the differentiation of infectious asthma and extrinsic asthma triggered by infection. The distinction is an important one, because patients in the second category account for about three of every four cases of asthma associated with respiratory infection and will not benefit from hyposensitization using bacterial vaccine. It is recommended that the use of bacterial vaccine should be limited to children with severe infectious asthma who show no sign of spontaneous improvement.