title: Desloratadine therapy improves allergic rhinitis symptoms in latin american children aged 6 to 12 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  : To determine the effectiveness of desloratadine syrup in relieving symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR) among children in Latin America.
  
  
  METHODS
  : In an open-label trial conducted in 5 Latin American countries, 455 children aged 6 to 12 years with seasonal or perennial AR were treated with desloratadine syrup 2.5 mg/d for 6 weeks. Thirty percent of subjects were concomitantly taking corticosteroids, and 21.3% had a history of asthma. Efficacy was measured by improvement in the Total Symptom Severity 4 questionnaire and decrease in severity of individual nasal symptoms of congestion, rhinorrhea, pruritus, and sneezing. Physicians and subjects' caregivers rated symptom improvement in a separate assessment at final visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : Treatment with desloratadine led to a significant decrease in mean Total Symptom Severity 4 score, from 7.54 at baseline to 1.96 at study end (P < 0.0001), and in individual symptom scores, including congestion (P < 0.0001 for all). Similar improvements were found in groups receiving desloratadine monotherapy and desloratadine plus corticosteroids. Allergic rhinitis symptoms were rated "better" or "much better" by 94% of caregivers. Incidence of adverse events was 6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  : Desloratadine, with or without concomitant corticosteroids, was efficacious and safe in the treatment of AR in this group of Latin American children.
authors.affiliation: From the 1Instituto de Immunología, Universidad Central de Venezuela; and 2Policlínica Metropolitana, Caracas, Venezuela; 3Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú; 4Centro Especializado San Fernando, Panamá City, Panamá; 5Hospital Angeles Pedregal, Mexico City; and 6Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Hospital Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico; and 7Hospital Universitario del Río, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tassinari
authors.forename: Nelson R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Centeno
authors.forename: Janina Vergara
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Velásquez
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aguirre-Mariscal
authors.forename: Sandra N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Gonzálezdíaz
authors.forename: Alfredo Fernández de Córdova
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Jerves