Post hoc analysis of clinical trials shows that blood eosinophil counts (BEC) predict future wheeze attacks in preschool children. This article explores whether point‐of‐care (POC) eosinophil testing is feasible in preschool children who wheeze, and how BEC relates to symptoms, lung function, and the risk of future attacks.
73 children aged between 1–5 years at a specialist pediatric respiratory clinic with a diagnosis of recurrent wheeze were included in the analysis. Each child underwent a finger‐prick blood test using the HemoCue® WBC DIFF System to obtain a total white cell count with a differential cell count, including BEC. POC results were validated against laboratory venous blood tests in children who underwent this test for clinical indications.
Findings show that finger-prick POC BEC testing was feasible and acceptable for both children and their parents during a routine clinic appointment. Preliminary results suggest that elevated BEC, together with a low symptom score, may predict a wheeze attack within three months – although BEC alone was not sufficient to predict wheeze attacks for an individual child, as this requires additional validation in a larger study.
The study also validated the accuracy of the POC test results against laboratory venous samples and found a high level of agreement between the two measures, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.978 and Bland–Altman analysis showing very good agreement between the two tests.
Key Takeaways:
Finger-prick point-of-care BEC testing in 1–5-year-old children with recurrent wheeze was feasible and acceptable in a tertiary clinic setting. The HemoCue® WBC DIFF System showed high agreement with laboratory venous testing, supporting the quality of point-of-care BEC measurement.
This study suggests that point-of-care BEC testing is both practical in young children and shows high agreement with laboratory results. It also creates an opportunity to position the HemoCue® WBC DIFF System as a point-of-care solution that delivers rapid eosinophil results, supporting the overall clinical assessment.
Read the full publication here:
Point-of-Care Blood Eosinophils to Predict Preschool Wheeze Attacks.
References:
Hillson K, Fontanella S, Almeida H, Pavlou B, Lajunen K, Irving S, Testa I, Bingham Y, Oritz KM, Lacbay S, Hay S, Gore M, Scotney E, Paraskakis E, Sonnappa S, Fleming L, Bush A, Saglani S.
Allergy. 2025 Apr;80(4):1038-1046.
