[Intervention measures for maintenance of clinical control in the remission stage of childhood asthma].

Objective: To explore the intervention measures to maintain clinical control in children with asthma in the remission stage when concomitant with acute upper respiratory infection (AURI).

Methods: A total of 100 asthmatic children who had achieved clinical control were randomly divided into observation group and control group. The two groups were both treated with a combination of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2 receptor agonist (ICS/LABA) at the lowest dose every night. Conventional therapies were used for the two groups when suffering from AURI. In addition to conventional therapies, the observation group was given early short-term upgrade therapy, i.e., on the basis of maintenance therapy, the same amount of ICS/LABA complex preparation was inhaled every morning, which lasted for 7-10 days. Both groups were treated following asthma guidelines according to the severity of the disease at the time of acute attacks. The control rate of asthma, severity of acute attacks, changes in pulmonary function indices, and occurrence of adverse events were evaluated after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment.

Results: At each time point of follow-up, the rate of asthma control in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (90% vs 80%; P<0.05). The severity of acute attacks in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group at all follow-up time points (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group had significantly improved pulmonary function indices of large and small airways (P<0.05) and significantly reduced mean amount of inhaled glucocorticoids and impact on family life (P<0.01).

Conclusions: Early short-term upgrade therapy for children with asthma in the remission stage when concomitant with AURI can prevent acute attacks of asthma, raise the rate of asthma control and improve pulmonary function.