It is proved beyond doubt that asthma is affected beneficially by long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in childhood.
Although there is a lot of side affects that are associated with it. Which include adrenal suppression and growth deceleration; continue to be of concern to physicians that treat asthmatic children.The main researchers were Kostas N. Priftis (Department of Allergology-Pulmonology, Penteli Children's Hospital, P. Penteli, Greece) and colleagues from Cyprus and Greece. They studied if impairment of growth of these children can predict adrenal function suppression.
To test the hypothesis low dose synacthen test was performed in 72 asthmatic children on long-term treatment (6-84 months) with low to moderate doses of inhaled budesonide. The parameters studied were changes in height standard deviation scores (HSDS) at the time of testing and height velocity SDS (HVSDS) in the preceding year were also calculated.
Adrenal suppression was demonstrated in 15 asthmatic children (20.8%) but this was only a biochemical finding. There was no correlation between adrenal response and dose or duration of treatment. However, a positive relation between HVSDS and duration of treatment was noted.
As a conclusion it is said that long-term treatment of asthmatic children with low to moderate doses of inhaled budesonide may result in mild adrenal suppression that can not be predicted by growth deceleration.
Durationg increase has a negative effect on the children.
