ABSTRACT
Sixteen children with asthma took part in a double-blind, crossover comparison study of single doses of fenoterol (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 mg), ephedrine (24 mg) and placebo. Spirometry was performed before drug administration and then hourly for six hours thereafter. Mean values were plotted for six hours after dur administration. All active drugs were superior to placebo. The greatest differences were in FEF25-75 spirometry levels although the differences for FEV1 did reach statistical significance. The 7.5 mg dose of fenoterol was superior to all other active drug categories. Although effects of tremor and nausea were minimal, significant tachycardia and palpitations were noted with the 5.0 mg and 7.5 mg doses of fenoterol.
Subject(s)
Asthma/drug therapy , Bronchodilator Agents/administration & dosage , Ephedrine/administration & dosage , Ethanolamines/administration & dosage , Fenoterol/administration & dosage , Administration, Oral , Asthma/diagnosis , Bronchodilator Agents/pharmacology , Bronchodilator Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Ephedrine/adverse effects , Ephedrine/therapeutic use , Female , Fenoterol/adverse effects , Fenoterol/therapeutic use , Forced Expiratory Volume , Humans , Male , Maximal Midexpiratory Flow Rate , Placebos , Pulse/drug effects , Spirometry , Vital Capacity/drug effectsABSTRACT
Records of 2,190 patients with demonstrable allergic disease, including 1,148 patients with asthma and 557 patients with allergic rhinitis, were analyzed for the impact of certain risk factors on age of onset of allergic disease and on sensitization to certain specific antigens. The risk factors examined included race, sex, maternal age, family structure, life style, feeding history, environmental factors and heredity of allergic disease. Age of onset was significantly earlier (P less than 0.001) in males, blacks, children of younger mothers, bottle-fed babies, children of rural origin, children of smoking parents and children with a bilateral family history of allergy.
Subject(s)
Hypersensitivity, Immediate , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Asthma/diagnosis , Breast Feeding , Child , Child, Preschool , Family , Female , Humans , Hypersensitivity, Immediate/genetics , Infant , Life Style , Male , Maternal Age , Middle Aged , Racial Groups , Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/diagnosis , Risk , Skin Tests , SmokingABSTRACT
Height and weight measurements were made on 380 boys and 219 girls age 4 to 20 with chronic asthma and compared with normal values from National Center for Health Statistics Growth Charts. These patients were not on prolonged steroid therapy. Heights and weights were both significantly lower than normal (P less than 0.005 for height and P less than 0.01 for weight) for the total sample and for some individual age groups for boys, but reached normal values by age 19 and 20. Average height percentiles for boys with early onset (age 0 to 2 years) were at the 25 percentile level but improved with later ages of onset. Height and weight of girls were not affected significantly by chronic asthma. Growth retardation in asthmatic boys appears to be linked with delayed sexual maturation.
