title: Evaluation of oral budesonide for treatment of mild and moderate exacerbations of Crohn's disease in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral budesonide has been found to be efficacious for mild to moderate Crohn's disease in adults, with equal improvement rates for budesonide and prednisone. We report the results of a retrospective study of budesonide treatment in mild to moderate Crohn's disease in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Charts of patients treated with budesonide (n = 62) with a pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index of 12.5 to 40 were compared with a cohort of 58 age-matched patients treated with prednisone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among children treated with budesonide, 48% had remission compared with 77% of the children treated with prednisone (P =.001). Among patients who had failed previous medical therapy with mesalamine, 59% had remission with budesonide (9 mg/day). Remission with prednisone occurred in 73% of children who failed to achieve remission with budesonide. Patients responding to budesonide had significantly milder disease compared with nonresponders who had remission while taking prednisone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Budesonide is useful in mild to moderate Crohn's disease in children. It is more effective than mesalamine and antibiotics but less effective than prednisone. Budesonide should be considered for first-line therapy in mild to moderate Crohn's disease.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Gastroenterology Units of the Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine, Israel.
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Efrat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Broide
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Yoram
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bujanover
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Weizman
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dinari
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pacht
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Branski
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zahavi
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019819:Budesonide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002648:Child; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011241:Prednisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D019819:Budesonide; D011241:Prednisone