A study on the reproducibility of specific bronchial provocation testing in children.

Bronchial provocation tests with housedust were carried out on thirty-five asthmatic children aged 4-13. Each patient was tested twice. Subjects were studied with two different doses of allergen: 1200 and 3600 micrograms. There was reproducibility in 80% of the seventy tests performed, allowing confirmation of the reliability of the test. Furthermore, reproducibility was better when lower doses of allergen were inhaled. The intensity of the bronchial response sometimes varied in the same subject. These variations were greater when the inhaled volume increased. Immediate and delayed reactions together and delayed reactions alone were frequent (60% of cases); this should therefore be taken into account when studying the reproducibility of specific bronchial provocation test.