New Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in pre-school Kids, aged 2-5 (TRACK) and "3S" Mnemonic

A validated questionnaire is needed to monitor respiratory control in preschool-aged children.

The Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK) includes 5 items:

- frequency of respiratory symptoms (wheeze, cough, shortness of breath)
- activity limitation
- nighttime awakenings in the past 4 weeks
- rescue medication use in the past 3 months
- oral corticosteroid use in the previous year

Reliability was greater than 0.70. The control status was correctly classified in 81% and 78% of cases. Changes in TRACK scores of 10 or more points represent clinically meaningful changes in respiratory control status.

Compare TRACK (age 2-5 years) to C-ACT (age 4-11 years)

Test for respiratory and asthma control in kids (TRACK) is a caregiver-completed questionnaire for preschool-aged children. Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT) is a mix between children and caregiver-completed questionnaire.

TRACK includes 5 questions. C-ACT includes 7 questions with a 1-4 scale (http://www.asthmacontrol.com/child.html).

TRACK mnemonics

5
5 questions
5 year-old or younger (2-5 years)

Test for respiratory and asthma control in kids (TRACK) - mnemonic: 3S

Symptoms (3 questions)
SABA use
Steroid use

Test for respiratory and asthma control in kids (TRACK) - complete mnemonic: 3S

Symptoms - SPA: Symptoms - how often, Play, At night, past 4 weeks
SABA use, past 12 weeks (3 months)
Steroid use, past 12 months (1 year)

Time frame of TRACK:

Symptoms - 4 weeks (1 month)
SABA use - 12 weeks (3 months), quarter
Steroid use - 12 months (1 year)

Abbreviations:
SABA, Short Acting Beta Agonist
C-ACT, Childhood Asthma Control Test

The authors concluded that TRACK was a valid, easy-to-administer, caregiver-completed questionnaire of respiratory control in preschool-aged children with symptoms consistent with asthma.

References:

Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK): A caregiver-completed questionnaire for preschool-aged children. Kevin R. Murphy et al. JACI. Volume 123, Issue 4, Pages 833-839.e9 (April 2009).

Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK): Clinically meaningful changes in score. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011 Sep 7. [Epub ahead of print]

ACQ scores ≥ 1.50 and ACT scores ≤ 19 are suitable to indicate uncontrolled asthma http://goo.gl/l9Sl5

Validated tools to assess asthma control - ACT, ATAQ, LASS, ACQ, ACSS, TRACK and more. AAAAI, 2011.

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