The clinical effectiveness of montelukast versus inhaled budesonide on mild or moderate asthma in children.

Objective To observe the clinical effectiveness of montelukast versus inhaled budesonide on children asthma complicated with allergic rhinitis in a case-cohort research.Methods 80 children with mild or moderate asthma complicated with rhinitis were enrolled in the study.Following a 12-week run in period,The patients were randomized into two groups to receive inhaled budesonide plus 5 mg/day of montelukast(case group)or inhaled budesonide plus placebo(cohort group)for 12 weeks.The dose of inhaled budesonide could be decreased to the most efficacial limit.The patients were evaluated at 12-week intervals for symptom scores,asthma exacerbations,lung function,use of short-acting beta(2) agonist,dosage of inhaled budesonide and adverse events.Results At the end of the study,morning and daytime symptom scores were significantly reduced within the groups.There was a significant decrease in the dosage of inhale budesonide when montelukast were used(P0.05).Conclusion Our results suggest that the use of montelukast combined with low-dose inhaled budesonide can significantly control the symptom of asthma and allergic rhinitis.Also,it is helpful in decreasing the dosage of inhaled budesonide and no significant adverse events are found.