Study population
Twenty-nine patients participated in the study. Only two participants
dropped out before the third visit and did not complete the
questionnaires. In total 85 breath samples were collected. The study
included two wheezing infants and two infant with a mixed
(rattle-wheezing) phenotype. Table 1 shows the patient characteristics
of the participants that were diagnosed with rattling and were included
in the statistical analysis.
Fifty-eight of the 85 breath samples were collected easily while the
child remained calm without any discomfort. Three samplings were
unsuccessful because the child was restless and did not tolerate the
mask of the breath sampler. Some samples were collected with more
difficulty (6/86), while the child was crying (12/85) or while the child
had a pacifier in his/her mouth in order to keep him/her calm (6/85).