Budesonide aerosols in Thai asthmatic children.

ABSTRACT

Thirteen children with chronic bronchial asthma, 8 boys and 5 girls, aged between 5 and 15 (mean 10) years, with a duration of asthma ranging from 1 to 12 (mean 6) years, were studied by a control, oral prednisolone 5 mg twice a day and inhaled budesonide 100 micrograms twice daily, each for 3 weeks. The clinical efficacy assessed daily by day and night symptom scores, cough, limitation of activity and inhaled terbutaline used, showed improvement of the parameters measured during budesonide and prednisolone treatment period but did not reach statistical significance except for the night symptom scores (p less than 0.05) between the control and inhaled budesonide period and the cough between the control and oral prednisolone period. Slight improvement in pulmonary function was observed during budesonide and prednisolone. No changes of complete blood counts before and after inhaled budesonide were noted. No oral and pharyngeal thrush were observed in any studied period. Inhaled budesonide appears to be effective for treatment of chronic bronchial asthma but still requires long-term studies with higher dosages to be certain that its effect is better and maintained and without systemic side effects.