Update on asthma medications

Nurse Practitioner, Jun 2002 by Runton, Nancy

In summary, health care providers must: (1) identify individuals with asthma, (2) identify asthma triggers in these individuals, (3) educate the patient and his or her caregivers so that they can reduce exposure to those triggers, (4) implement an action plan to relieve and control asthma, and (5) ensure that each patient remains compliant with their action plan. With these steps as a foundation, asthma can ultimately be controlled-thereby improving the lives of children coping with this disease.

NOTES:

Pulmicort Turbuhaler, Vanceril, Beclovent-Safety and effectiveness in children under the age of 6 years have not been established.

QVAR, Flovent-Safety and effectiveness in children under the age of 12 years have not been established.

Pulmicort Respules-Safety and effectiveness in children under the age of 12 months have not been established.

Accolate-Safety and effectiveness in children under the age of 5 years have not been established.

Ventolin, Proventil-Safety and effectiveness in children under the age of 4 years have not been established.

REFERENCES

1. National Asthma Education and Prevention Program: Expert Panel Report 2: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. Bethesda, Md.: National Institutes of Health, 1997 NIH Publication No. 97-4051.

2. Steinbach SF: Four controversies in pediatric asthma. Contemporary Pediatrics 2000;17(10):150-152, 155-156, 159-160, 162, 164, 171.

3. Welch MJ: Putting research into practice. Pediatric Basics 2001;96:editorial.

4. Vanceril Inhaler prescribing information. Kenilworth, NJ.: Schering Corporation; August 2000.

5. Beclovent Inhaler. In: Physicians' Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ.: Medical Economics, 2001;1354-56.

6. QVAR product information. Northridge, Calif.: 3M Pharmaceuticals; 2001.

7. Pulmicort Turbuhaler prescribing information. Wilmington, Del.: AstraZeneca LP; December 2001.

8. Pulmicort Respules full prescribing information. Wilmington, Del.: AstraZeneca LP; 2001. 9. Flovent product information. Research Triangle Park, N.C.: GlaxoSmithKline; September 2001.

10. AeroBid prescribing information. St. Louis, Mo.: Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; April 1996. 11. Azmacort prescribing information. Bridgewater, N.J.: Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc.; February 2001.

12. FDA Talk Paper, FDA approves Pulmicort Respules for asthma, August 8, 2000. Available at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS01028.html. Accessed March 19, 2002.

13. Jick SS, Vasilakis-Scaramozza C, Maier WC: The risk of cataract among users of inhaled steroids. Epidemiology 2001;12(2):229-34.

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15. Simons FE, Persaud MP, Gillespie CA, Cheang M, Shuckett EP: Absence of posterior subcapsular cataracts in young patients treated with inhaled glucocorticoids. Lancet 1993;342:776-8.

16. Spector SL: Leukotriene inhibitors and antagonists in asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1995;75(6 Pt 1):463-73.

17. Accolate product information. Wilmington, Del.: AstraZeneca LP; 2001.