title: Asthma therapy in pediatric patients: a systematic review of treatment with montelukast versus inhaled corticosteroids.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are a first-line treatment for mild persistent asthma, but montelukast (MON) monotherapy also has been beneficial. The aim of this review is to evaluate current evidence comparing MON versus ICS monotherapy in pediatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review was conducted of randomized controlled trials evaluating treatment of mild to moderate persistent asthma in which MON was compared with ICS monotherapy in children aged 2 to 18 years. PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Institute of Scientific Information's Web of Knowledge were searched using key words asthma, MON, and ICS. Studies that met inclusion criteria were appraised for quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 214 identified studies, eight met inclusion criteria and seven were deemed high quality. Study sample sizes ranged from 62 to 994, 88% were multi-site, and the average length of follow-up was 8.2 months. Asthma symptoms improved with both therapies. Four studies reported superiority of ICS compared with MON; the remaining studies showed no differences between therapies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results are consistent with the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (2007) recommendation that ICS therapy should be first-line treatment in children with mild to moderate persistent asthma.
authors: Kristen
authors: K
authors: Massingham
authors: Shelley
authors: S
authors: Fox
authors: Arlene
authors: A
authors: Smaldone
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D006801:Humans; D011804:Quinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013440:Sulfides
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D011804:Quinolines; D013440:Sulfides; C093875:montelukast
keywords: Asthma; inhaled corticosteroids; montelukast