Allergic rhinitis is the most common immune disorder worldwide, affecting approximately 10–40% of the general population. It is characterized by an inflammatory response of the nasal mucosa following exposure to non-infectious, inhaled, and airborne allergens that are defined based on the period of exposure to the allergen as annual, seasonal, or episodic. A variety of factors are found to relate to the prevalence of allergic rhinitis, i.e., sex, race, age, seasonality, personal and family-positive atopic history, as well as exposure to environmental and epigenetic factors. In addition to the local inflammation in the nasal mucosa, systemic inflammation is activated in the entire respiratory system, such as rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, sinusitis, and otitis media with effusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends in the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in the Greek pediatric and adolescent population since 1990. Research was performed in electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library) using appropriate MeSH terms for related studies from 1990 to 2023. We found 12 studies, 11 prospective and 1 cross-sectional, conducted in the cities of Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras and Evros prefecture, with sample sizes varying from 517 to 3076 subjects aged 6–17 years old. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis showed geographic and temporal variability, ranging between 2.1 and 32.5% in children and 25.3 and 30.8% in adolescents, with increasing trends. Factors such as gender (male), age (8–10 years), environmental exposures (moisture, mites, and fungi), positive atopic profile, and family history (asthma and eczema) were related to the manifestation of the disease. The need for systematic research in the Greek child and adolescent population is vital to recognize, prognosis, and control allergic rhinitis manifestations.

Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity appears to be an alarmingly growing global threat. Current evidence has shown that obesity can be successfully managed with interventions targeting movement skills, motor coordination and physical activity. However, data concerning physiotherapy practice are limited. We aimed to assess the impact of therapeutic exercise on the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) in obese children and adolescents. Methods: A total of 31 obese children and adolescents (BMI > 30 kg/m²), 18 males and 13 females, aged from 8 to 18 years, were enrolled. Two study groups were formed: the control group (Group A), comprising ten children; and the intervention group (Group B), comprising 21 children. Daily exercise habits were obtained via interview; anthropometric data (weight, height and BMI) were recorded; and 6-MWT parameters, blood pressure and oxygen saturation (SaO₂) were assessed before and after a 4-month intervention program consisting of breathing and aerobic exercises. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in 6-minute walk distance (+43.34, p < 0.001) and an improvement in body weight (p < 0.01), blood pressure (p < 0.01) and oxygen saturation (p < 0.03) in Group B after the 4-month training program. Conclusions: All results highlight the potential of physical exercise in clinical practice to improve functional status and achieve weight loss. Future randomized controlled trials, including individualized therapeutic exercise programs in larger samples of obese children, are much anticipated.

Background/Objectives: Home spirometry allows people with cystic fibrosis (CF) to monitor their lung function from home. However, there are concerns about its feasibility and validity compared to traditional clinic spirometry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and validity of telehealth spirometry for patients with CF living in a regional setting. Methods: This retrospective study included forty-eight people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) aged 6–33 years. Participants performed home spirometry using a portable flow sensor spirometer over a one-year period, without supervision. Spirometry readings from portable spirometers were compared with the nearest in-clinic spirometry using the intra-correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman plots. Data were collected over a period of one year, with regular intervals of measurements. Results: In 427 of the 877 (48.6%) attempted sessions, successful spirometry at home was recorded. Although we showed good reliability between at-home and in-clinic measurements using the Bland–Altman plots and intraclass correlation co-efficient (ICC) (values ranged from 0.76 to 0.88), analysis of the 117 pairs of at-home and in-clinic spirometries showed that mean differences of forced expiratory volume in the 1st sec (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) obtained at home (both in liter and z-score) had, on average, lower values than the corresponding values at the clinic. Conclusions: Home-based telehealth spirometry is feasible among pwCF and provides advantages, especially for those from remote or secluded areas. However, lower values in FVC and FEV1 obtained through home spirometry should not be used interchangeably with clinic values.

Description and qualitative comparison of the lung ultrasound (LUS) scores used to assess patients aged 0 to 2 years with bronchiolitis. A systematic literature review was carried out to find out the LUS scores used to assess patients aged 0 to 2 years with bronchiolitis, using Medline, Scopus and ScienceDirect databases from their inception to January 2024. A total of 23 studies matching our eligibility criteria were analysed for the purposes of this review and 1878 patients with bronchiolitis were included. Different LUS scores were described and analysed. This review summarises the different scoring systems used in LUS in literature and the potential effects they may have had in diagnosing or monitoring bronchiolitis.