The bronchodilatory effects of loratadine, terbutaline, and both together versus placebo in childhood asthma.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the bronchodilatory effect of loratadine in children with mild-to-moderate asthma and to determine whether loratadine interacts with terbutaline.


METHODS
The effect on pulmonary functions of a 10 mg oral dose of loratadine, with and without inhaled terbutaline powder (0.5 mg), was determined in 13 patients with a mean (SE) age of 10.63 (0.77) years (range from eight to 17 years) at 11 time points during 8 h in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover study. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was the primary measure of efficacy.


RESULTS
Although loratadine alone produced an increase in FEV1 relative to baseline, this was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Terbutaline with, and without loratadine, significantly increased FEV1 from 1 to 5 h according to baseline (p < 0.004). When compared with the placebo, loratadine significantly increased FEV1 from 150 min to 8 h (p < 0.05). Also, terbutaline alone, or in combination with loratadine, significantly increased FEV1 from 30 min to 7 h (p < 0.004, from 30 min to 5 h; p < 0.05, between 6-7 h). Although the mean increase in FEV1, with terbutaline + loratadine in combination, was greater than with terbutaline alone, the difference was not significant (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Loratadine has a mild bronchodilatory effect in the study period and does not interfere with the bronchodilatory effect of terbutaline in childhood asthma.
Orhan
Fazil
F
Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Trabzon, Turkey. fazilorhan@yahoo.com
Baki
Ali
A
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017336:Loratadine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D011336:Probability; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013726:Terbutaline / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D017336:Loratadine; D013726:Terbutaline