Factors Affecting the Outcome of Bronchiectasis in Pediatric Patients

Introduction Bronchiectasis is a common problem in children and early diagnosis can lead to early treatment and prevent of its complications. This study was aimed to evaluate factors effectiveness on outcome of bronchiectasis in children. Methods and Materials In an analytical cross-sectional study, 347 children with bronchiectasis underwent the study. The patients were diagnosed based on chronic suppurative cough and Computerized tomography(CT) scan findings. Results Disease etiology was asthma in 55.6%, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in 7.8%, Cystic fibrosis (CF) in 4.8%, other causes in 11.2% and idiopathic in 20.6%. All cases complained of chronic cough. The most common sign was daily sputum production (79.1%) and common symptoms were ral/crackle in 47.1% and wheezing in 25.4%. Mean treatment period was 32.82 +/- 11.56 months. At the end of follow-up, complete improvement occurred in 35.6%, partial improvement in 40.9% and no improvement in 23.5%. Conclusion In children with chronic cough and crackle in physical examination, consideration of bronchiectasis could be helpful in early diagnosis and complementary evaluations and treatment initiation. Treatment of the underlying disease could prevent the occurrence and increase the response to treatment of bronchiectasis.