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Children with asthma, colds less likely to respond to medications
Rueter K.J Pediatr. 2011; doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.06.025
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With the respiratory infection season now in full swing, parents should consider more intense monitoring of their children who have asthma, as these children may be less likely to respond to asthma medications if they have a cold, according to a study published online.
Kristina Rueter, MD, and colleagues from the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and the School of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia, both in Perth, Australia, looked at data on 218 children (mean age, 6.6 years) with acute asthma. The researchers measured the childrens’ symptoms, as well as responses to asthma medications at 6, 12 and 24 hours.
The researchers noted that the children who had viral respiratory infection symptoms were more likely to receive â2-agonists after 6, 12 and 24 hours compared with the 50 children who did not have those symptoms, even though asthma severity did not differ among the groups.
The researchers also examined per-nasal aspirates from 77% of the children, and they noted the most frequently identified virus rhinovirus.
Rueter and colleagues’ findings were published around the same time of another study that looked at asthma, infection, and antibiotic prescription rates. In that study, the researchers concluded that antibiotics are frequently overprescribed to children with asthma.
Disclosures: The research was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Asthma Foundation of Western Australia, and West Australian Institute of Medical Research. The researchers reported no relevant disclosures.
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