Formative assessment promotes positive learning outcomes and evaluates students over time. We aimed to evaluate students’ learning achievements after implementing a formative assessment technique by using a normalised gain method. This retrospective observational study was conducted at the School of Medicine and Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. There were 118 fifth-year medical students who attended a general pediatric course in the 2021–2022 academic year. In the summative assessment, the post-test scores were significantly greater than the pretest scores (mean difference 20.53, 95% CI (18.63–22.44), P < 0.001). The median value of the overall student learning gain (g) was 0.34 (0.23, 0.45). Students with medium gains had significantly higher scores than those with low gains (P < 0.001). Students’ learning gains had a positive correlation with post-test scores. (R = 0.6, P = 0.01). The formative assessment technique is a valuable method for enhancing students’ learning outcomes by offering timely and effective feedback through mentoring systems. It is essential to integrate formative assessments into standard assessment strategies in undergraduate medical education.

Alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of the pulmonary veins (ACDMPV) is a rare congenital diffuse lung disorder, with a fatal course during the neonatal period. We describe an 18‐month‐old boy who presented with respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia and pulmonary hypertensive crisis requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Exome sequencing revealed a FOXF1 frameshift variant, NM_001451.2:c.995_998delACTC, inherited from his asymptomatic mother. Genetic findings were compatible with histopathology findings from a lung biopsy. Based on the disease course, histopathology, and outcomes of this case, we believe ACDMPV should be considered a possibility in an infant presenting with hypoxemic respiratory failure, resistant pulmonary hypertension, and vasodilator‐induced pulmonary edema. Genetic testing can contribute to the diagnostic process.

Purpose: It is still unclear whether considering abnormal spirometry as a marker for disease control can help physicians adjust asthma controllers in children because of the scarcity of pediatric studies. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of abnormal spirometry in a selected pediatric asthmatic population and its effect on longitudinal outcomes. Patients and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand. Children with asthma aged < 18 years were recruited for review if they attended the clinic and underwent acceptable spirometry with bronchodilator responsiveness (BDR) tests after receiving asthma treatment for at least 3 months between January 2011 and June 2022. Differences in baseline characteristics, atopic factors, asthma treatment, and outcomes were analyzed between the normal and abnormal spirometry groups over a 12-month post-spirometry period. Results: The mean age of the 203 enrolled patients was 10.9 ± 2.6 years. Abnormal spirometry, defined as airflow limitation or the presence of BDR, was observed in 58.1% of patients. No significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics, atopic factors, asthma treatment, or outcomes between the normal and abnormal spirometry groups. Further analysis of 107 patients with abnormal spirometry with symptom control revealed that physicians adjusted the asthma controller based on spirometry and symptoms in 84 and 23 patients, respectively. There was no significant difference in the loss of disease control over the 12-month post-spirometry period between the two groups. Conclusion: Abnormal spirometry was found in 58.1% of treated school-aged patients with asthma. Abnormal spirometry results were not associated with poor asthma outcomes during the 12-month follow-up. Both symptom-based and spirometry-based adjustments of asthma controllers resulted in comparable symptom control over a 12-month follow-up period in the selected population.

Most patients with childhood asthma present their first symptoms at preschool age. Identifying modifiable risks and protective factors at an early age may help develop asthma prevention and control strategies. This study aimed to identify factors at preschool age that are associated with persistent asthma at school age. This retrospective observational study included preschool children with asthma from 2015 to 2020 at a university hospital in Southern Thailand. In total, 189 eligible participants (70.9% boys; median age, 7.6 [6.7, 8.5] years) were included. Wheeze characteristics included early transient wheeze, persistent wheeze, and late-onset wheeze that accounted for 55%, 27.5%, and 19.5% of the patients, respectively. Approximately 20% of the participants had persistent asthma. Breastfeeding was a protective factor (odds ratio [OR] 0.4 [0.2, 0.9], p = 0.04). The modifiable risk factors were siblings living in the same household (OR 2.6 [1.1, 6.2], p = 0.02) and residence in an industrial area (OR 3.8 [1.4, 10.5], p = 0.009). Additionally, presence of allergic rhinitis was associated with an increased risk of persistent asthma at school age (OR 3.6 [1.6, 8.2], p = 0.002). Early therapeutic interventions targeting modifiable factors provide a window of opportunity to prevent persistent asthma at school age.