Swiss Paediatric Airway Cohort
SPAC
1 other identifier
observational
6,000
2 countries
12
Brief Summary
The Swiss Paediatric Airway Cohort (SPAC) is a national, prospective clinical cohort of children and adolescents who visit physicians in Switzerland for recurrent wheeze, cough, and exercise- or sleep-related respiratory problems. SPAC aims to answer important questions on clinical phenotypes, prognosis, diagnosis and treatment. SPAC is part of routine care, and only clinically indicated investigations are done. The comprehensive baseline assessment includes a detailed questionnaire to families, plus test results, diagnoses and treatments from hospital records. Follow-up is via monthly questionnaires the first 12 months and thereafter annual questionnaires to families, and data from follow-up visits. Currently, 4344 patients from 10 clinics and hospitals in Switzerland (Aarau, Basel, Bern, Chur, Horgen, Lausanne, Luzern, St. Gallen, Worb, Zurich) have been enrolled. SPAC provides real-life data on children visiting the Swiss health care system for common respiratory problems. It will provide a research platform for health services research, and for nested clinical and transitional studies. Publications and plain language summaries are listed on the study website: https://www.spac-study.ch/publikationen/
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for all trials
Started Jun 2017
Longer than P75 for all trials
12 active sites
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
June 6, 2017
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
April 2, 2018
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
April 23, 2018
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
September 1, 2026
ExpectedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
June 1, 2030
April 21, 2026
April 1, 2026
9.2 years
April 2, 2018
April 16, 2026
Conditions
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (4)
Wheeze
Number of patients with current wheeze as measured with questionnaire
1 year from inclusion in SPAC study
Cough apart from colds
Number of patients with cough apart from colds as measured with questionnaires
1 year from inclusion in SPAC study
Exercise-induced dyspnea
Number of patients with exercise-induced dyspnea as measured with questionnaires
1 year from inclusion in SPAC study
Reduced lung function
Number of patients with reduced lung function measured through clinical tests in the paediatric pulmonary clinics (Spirometry, Fraction of Exhaled Nitric Oxide, Bronchial challenge test, Exercise challenge test). Information collected through hospital records.
1 year from inclusion in SPAC study
Secondary Outcomes (4)
Wheeze
5 years from inclusion in SPAC study
Cough apart from colds
5 years from inclusion in SPAC study
Exercise-induced dyspnea
5 years from inclusion in SPAC study
Reduced lung function
5 years from inclusion in SPAC study
Study Arms (1)
Patient population
Children referred to paediatric pulmonary outpatient clinics for respiratory symptoms such as wheeze, cough, dyspnea, exercise- and sleep-related breathing problems.
Eligibility Criteria
Paediatric pulmonology outpatient clinics in Switzerland
You may qualify if:
- Children and adolescents aged 0-16 years
- Resident in Switzerland
- Seen in a paediatric pulmonary outpatient clinic due to respiratory problems
- Parents and patients above age 14 must be able to sign an informed consent form
You may not qualify if:
- Prior diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, severe heart disease, oncological disease, neuromuscular disease or severe disability
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (12)
Vienna Open Medical Institute
Vienna, Austria
Children's hospital Aarau
Aarau, Switzerland
University Children's hospital Basel, UKBB
Basel, Switzerland
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Bern, 3012, Switzerland
University Children's Hospital Bern, Inselspital
Bern, Switzerland
Children's Hospital Chur
Chur, Switzerland
Pulmonology clinic, Horgen
Horgen, Switzerland
University Children's hospital Lausane, CHUV
Lausanne, Switzerland
Children's hospital Lucerne
Lucerne, Switzerland
Children's hospital St. Gallen
Sankt Gallen, Switzerland
Pulmonology clinic, Worb
Worb, Switzerland
University Children's Hospital Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
Related Links
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- STUDY DIRECTOR
Claudia E Kuehni, Prof.
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- observational
- Observational Model
- COHORT
- Time Perspective
- PROSPECTIVE
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
April 2, 2018
First Posted
April 23, 2018
Study Start
June 6, 2017
Primary Completion (Estimated)
September 1, 2026
Study Completion (Estimated)
June 1, 2030
Last Updated
April 21, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-04
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will share
Researchers who wish to develop a nested study with inclusion of additional data also need to submit a proposal to the SPAC committee and request permission. A concept sheet describing the planned analyses must be approved by the SPAC committee. If any additional data are collected by nested studies, these must be contributed to the SPAC database after the data collection. Nested studies might need separate ethics permission. At the study website: www.spac-study.ch, information can be found on how to request permission to use data from the SPAC study.