Exercise-induced asthma in Nepalese children.

Three hundred and one children between 5 and 15 years old in the hills of east Nepal were studied to determine the prevalence and the main causes of asthma and atopy. Asthma was diagnosed on the basis of history, clinical examination and the results of a 6-min exercise test (step test). Asthma was diagnosed in six children, none of whom was skin prick test positive. We present here normal values of baseline peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and the exercise-induced changes in PEFR in normals, asthmatics, other wheezy children and others with atopic histories. The results of the skin prick tests are presented with the atopic histories in another paper.