[Bronchial asthma in children under 2 years of age].

Bronchial asthma is defined and some basic physiopathological phenomena are quoted. The most important facts leading to the investigation and the possibility of establishing the diagnosis of bronchial asthma in infants are mentioned. 61 children under 2 years of age who had been taken for consultation to the Bronchial Pulmonary Disease Department of the Exequiel González Cortés Hospital and the Child Medical Institute were analyzed in connection with the contribution of the anamnesis, physical check-up and the laboratory test to the diagnosis of the bronchial asthma. The following items are emphasized: value of the clinical history, the clinical test of total reversability of bronchial obstruction to (towards) adrenaline and the esoinophil count in bronchial secretion, and the skin test in children over 12 months of age. The conclusion is that it is possible to diagnose bronchial asthma in the child under two years old through simple, specific methods in any medical center with minimal equipment.