WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new review article indicated that the optimal medication delivery choice for children with asthma is one that the patient or caregiver prefers to use, can use correctly, and is most likely to use consistently.
“In treating children with asthma, choice of a delivery method is just as important as the choice of medication itself, and nebulized therapy like Pulmicort Respules(R) (budesonide inhalation suspension) may be an optimal option for children and their caregivers who find it preferable to use,” said William Berger, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, and author of the review article. “When prescribing therapy, clinicians must consider the abilities of the children and their parents to adhere to medications. This process includes a thorough understanding of the severity of the child’s disease, the age and skill level of the patient and ongoing education and instruction.”
Asthma is the most common chronic medical condition among children under the age of 15 years and the third leading cause of hospitalization in this age group.(1)
About The Article
This review of 91 peer-reviewed studies, published in the November issue of Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, described factors that influence patient preference in drug delivery and provides consideration for optimal device choice. The review stated that nebulized therapy, such as PULMICORT RESPULES, is an option for young children up to school age. PULMICORT RESPULES is indicated in children 12 months to eight years of age. As a device for delivering asthma medications, nebulizers were found to have several advantages for children, including nebulizers being less dependent on patient coordination, convenience of use during an acute asthma attack, and ease of use in sleeping and sick children.
About PULMICORT RESPULES
PULMICORT RESPULES is delivered by a jet nebulizer. This type of nebulizer uses air pressure to turn the medicine into a mist that is then inhaled through a facemask or a mouthpiece. A compressor connected to the nebulizer controls the airflow to the facemask or the mouthpiece. This method may make delivery more consistent. It is the only nebulized inhaled corticosteroid approved in the United States for children with asthma as young as 12 months.
PULMICORT RESPULES is a preventive type medicine for use in children 12 months to eight years of age. PULMICORT RESPULES is not a quick-relief medicine (bronchodilator) and should NOT be used alone to treat an asthma attack.
In clinical studies, the side effects experienced with PULMICORT RESPULES and how often they happened were similar to what was experienced with a non- medicated mist (placebo). These side effects were not necessarily a result of taking PULMICORT RESPULES and included respiratory infection, runny nose, coughing, earache, viral infection, stomachache, oral thrush and nosebleeds. If your child is exposed to chicken pox or measles, consult your child’s health care professional. If your child is switching to PULMICORT RESPULES from an oral (syrup or pill) corticosteroid, carefully follow the health care professional’s instructions. This will help your child avoid health risks that may be linked with stopping the use of oral corticosteroids.
PULMICORT RESPULES is a product of AstraZeneca, . For more information on the symptoms and triggers of asthma, as well as potential treatment options, parents can visit http://www.everydaykidz.com.
About Childhood Asthma
Asthma has become a serious problem in the United States, especially among children. In the year 2000, asthma resulted in 728,000 emergency department (ED) visits and 214,000 hospitalizations in patients under age 18,(2) and ED visits and hospitalization rates were highest among children four years of age and younger,(3) despite improvements in currently available asthma medications. Experts are unsure why this is the case, although one potential indicator is the lack of awareness and education about childhood asthma.
Approximately 6.3 million children under 18 years of age have asthma, which makes it the leading serious chronic illness among children.(4) Asthma is also the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15 and the number one cause of school absenteeism attributed to a chronic condition.(5) Although asthma can be a life-threatening disease if not properly managed, the mild to moderate asthma that most children have can be controlled by treatment at home or in the doctor’s office.(5)
Common symptoms of childhood asthma include coughing, either constant or intermittent; wheezing or a whistling sound audible when your child exhales; shortness of breath or rapid breathing, which may or may not be associated with exercise; and chest tightness.(5) Triggers of asthma range from smoke, airborne molds, pollens, dust, animal dander, exercise, cold air, many household and industrial products, air pollutants, scents or simple stress.(5)
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international health care business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of health care services. It is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with health care sales of over $21.4 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, oncology and neuroscience products. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $9.6 billion health care business with more than 12,000 employees. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.
For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: http://www.astrazeneca-us.com.
(1) American Lung Association. Asthma in Children Fact Sheet - July 2005. Available at http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=67462. Accessed 9/21/05. (2) Centers for Disease Control. Communications at the CDC: Entertainment Education. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/communication/tips/asthma_gnrl.htm#content. Accessed 9/21/05 (3) Centers for Disease Control. National Center for Health Statistics: Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use and Mortality, 2002. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/asthma/asthma.htm. Accessed 9/21/05 (4) American Lung Association. Asthma in Children Fact Sheet - July 2005. Available at http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=67462. Accessed 9/21/05. (5) American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. What is Asthma? Available at
www.aaaai.org/patients/allergic_conditions/pediatric_asthma/what_is_asthma.stm
Accessed 9/21/05
AstraZeneca
CONTACT: Heather Law, +1-302-898-8082, or Heather.Law@astrazeneca.com, orCynthia Callaghan, +1-302-886-2959, or Cynthia.Callaghan@astrazeneca.com,both of AstraZeneca
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