Rarely: Children with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

On April 16, Dr. Nguyen Phuong Hoa Binh, Head of Respiratory Department 1 - Children's Hospital II, said the hospital has found a case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rarely in children. The patient is the baby LKT, 12 years old, in Dong Nai.

Baby T. was admitted to the Respiratory Department of Dong II Children's Hospital for the first time on December 7, 2006 in the state of severe malnutrition, tiredness, wheezing. Currently, she is still continuing treatment here. Before that, little T. was often hospitalized to treat recurring pneumonia. Even at the age of 8, she went to Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital to treat tuberculosis.

Due to the effects of the disease, her fingers and toes have a drumstick, purple head and lips, and lips. It is a consequence of frequent hypoxic respiratory failure. Looking outside, the deformed chest is shaped like a barrel, gas tight.

Children are treated at the Respiratory Department - Children's Hospital II.(Photo: H.Cat)

In adults, COPD is delayed, most commonly in people aged 40-50 years, due to smoking and environmental effects. Meanwhile, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in children often suffers very early, easily confused with asthma.

According to Dr. Hoa Binh, the cause of this disease in children is because they lack a substance called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT). This is a genetic disease, making it easier for children to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at an early age.

Lack of AAT is an inherited disease often encountered in white people. AAT is responsible for protecting the lungs from the effects of protein destruction. The lack of AAT has caused frequent lung damage, a risk of early onset of COPD.

Currently, treatment of AAT deficiency is only symptomatic treatment according to the regimen of COPD treatment, not yet able to treat the cause (replacement of AAT protein).

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