Asthma control and patient satisfaction among early pediatric users of montelukast.
OBJECTIVE
To assess asthma control and patient satisfaction among pediatric users of montelukast in a clinical practice setting.


METHODS
A prospective study of 175 children with persistent asthma, 6 to 14 years of age, who initiated treatment with montelukast between Feb-1998 and Aug-1998, in primary care and pediatric offices across the United States. Data on asthma control and satisfaction with treatment was collected in physicians' offices after enrollment and by survey to the patients' homes at 1 month of treatment.


RESULTS
Across the study population, improvements in mean scores for asthma control and parent satisfaction were observed at the 1-month follow-up compared with baseline. At 1 month, 57.7% of patients had none offour issues indicative of poor asthma control, compared with 19.4% at baseline. Similarly, after 1 month of treatment with montelukast, 2.7 times as many parents reported being very satisfied with asthma therapy (using montelukast) compared with the previous controller therapy regimen at baseline. During the 1-month follow-up period, montelukast was used as the only controller medication by 18.3% of patients, and in combination with another controller medication by 81.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
Observations from this study over one month suggest that a significant percentage of pediatric patients successfully managed their asthma with montelukast and their parents were satisfied with their medication, compared to baseline.
Narayanan
Siva
S
Outcomes Research & Management, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, USA. siva_narayanan@merck.com
Edelman
Jonathan M
JM
Berger
Marc L
ML
Markson
Leona E
LE
D000085:Acetates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011804:Quinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013440:Sulfides; D013995:Time; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000085:Acetates; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D011804:Quinolines; D013440:Sulfides; C093875:montelukast