Current approaches to optimizing treatment for bronchial asthma in children

Abstract

Bronchial asthma (BA) is a significant challenge to pediatric practice and clinical medicine in general. BA in children reduces both their quality of life and that of their family members, may cause disability, and sometimes dramatic outcomes. The basic therapy for BA aims to control persistent allergic inflammation in the bronchi and reduce the symptoms of bronchial obstruction; short-acting beta2-agonists decrease the risk of exacerbation and improve the quality of life. Current guidelines recommend a combination of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta2-agonists to improve disease control with minimum doses of inhaled corticosteroids. In this article, we analyze clinical efficacy of the budesonide/formoterol combination in children with BA of different severity. Key words: bronchial asthma, children, inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting beta2-agonists, budesonide, formoterol