Reasons for discontinuation of antiasthma drugs in children with asthma coming from lower socioeconomic classes in a developing country.
Although asthma guidelines recommend regular use of controller therapies in both adults and children with moderate to severe asthma, most of the patients with asthma discontinue antiasthma drugs for various reasons. This study was performed to evaluate the reasons for discontinuation of antiasthma drugs in children with asthma in a developing country and to draw attention to these reasons to increase the adherence of the patients. The study was comprised of 118 children with asthma from lower-income groups who stopped using antiasthma drugs for various reasons. When they visited the hospital for routine or emergency room visits, they were asked for reasons for discontinuing the drugs. The average period for usage of antiasthma drugs ranged between 3 and 16 months (mean, 11.5 months). The most important cause for discontinuation of the drugs was disappearance of the symptoms. The other reasons were as follows: concerns of the parents about the side effects of antiasthma drugs, reluctance of the children to use the drugs, and replacement or discontinuation of the drugs by another physician. Expensiveness of the drugs was another important reason for the lower-income group. These findings suggest that children with asthma may easily discontinue the antiasthma drugs for various reasons. Because of this, both the parents and the children should be educated about long-term use and side effects of antiasthma drugs and warned about the problems of stopping treatment without physician approval.
Cetinkaya
Feyzullah
F
Department of Pediatrics, Sisli Etfal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. feyzulkaya@mynet.com
D000293:Adolescent; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents