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Project

Bronchodilators for wheeze in young children presenting to primary care: a randomized, placebo-controlled, multicentre, parallel group trial.

The main aim of this study is to establish the assumed superiority of salbutamol over no treatment and the (cost-)effectiveness of salbutamol inhalations versus placebo in children aged 6-24 months presenting to their primary care physician with wheezing. 10% of infants are prescribed short-acting bronchodilators for wheezing per year, yet evidence to support this treatment in children younger than two years old is scarce. With around 30% of all 180,000 Belgian children and 260,000 Dutch children aged 6-24 months having a period of wheeze annually, and salbutamol being prescribed in 30% of cases, 40,000 salbutamol prescriptions can potentially be prevented per year. Eligible children are otherwise healthy in this study, aged 6-24 months, and present with physician-diagnosed wheeze and a baseline respiratory symptom score of at least 7 out of 18. Recruitment will last for two consecutive years, in 40 practices in Belgium. UA will recruit 6 practices. The results of our study could impact guidelines and health care costs. If our trial demonstrates salbutamol has no or only a negligible beneficial effect in infants and young children with wheeze in primary care this will have an impact on national and international guidelines, and as a result on clinical practice. Salbutamol prescriptions may reduce substantially.
Date:6 May 2019 →  30 Jun 2021
Keywords:INFECTIONS
Disciplines:Respiratory medicine
Project type:Collaboration project