[Clinico-functional changes during inhalational corticotherapy (beclomethasone dipropionate) in children with severe...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Respiratory Medicine
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Severe bronchial asthma in children often necessitates long-term corticoid therapy.
• Corticosteroid dependence poses challenges in managing pediatric asthma.
• Assessing the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids is crucial for treatment optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) in children with severe, corticoid-dependent asthma.
• To assess changes in pulmonary function following a 6-month course of BDP therapy.
• To determine the extent of functional parameter normalization after treatment.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 14 children with severe, corticoid-dependent asthma was enrolled.
• Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) was administered for 6 months.
• Pulmonary function tests, including lung volume and flow measurements, were conducted at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in the mean percentage values of tested pulmonary functional parameters.
• A notable percentage of patients showed normalization of lung function parameters after 6 months.
• The parameter maximal expiratory flow at 50% of forced vital capacity (MEF50) was an exception to the normalization trend.

Conclusions:

• Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) is an effective treatment for improving lung function in children with severe asthma.
• Six months of BDP therapy can lead to significant functional recovery and normalization of key respiratory parameters.
• Further investigation may be warranted for parameters like MEF50 in pediatric asthma management.