Marzo 2005 - Volume XXIV - numero 3
Farmacoriflessioni
1Clinica Pediatrica, Policlinico “G.B. Rossi”, Università di Verona
2Clinica Pediatrica, IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste
3Dipartimento di Scienze Pediatriche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma
Indirizzo per corrispondenza: longog@burlo.trieste.it
Key words: Antileukotrienes, Preventive treatment, Wheezing, Asthma
In children with frequent wheezing, frequent and serious episodes of asthmatic dispnoea and risk factors for asthma and atopia, low-dose inhaled steroids should be used as preventive treatment since bronchial inflammation is primarily due to eosinophils. In children with the same characteristics but with no risk factors for asthma and atopia, bronchial inflammation is mostly sustained by neutrophils and their mucus is rich of leukotrienes, hence suggesting the use of montelukast. It is reasonable to reserve any preventive treatment only to those children with a frequent recurrence of acute and clinically important episodes.
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