abstract
- Achieving asthma control is the focus of asthma management. Inhaled corticosteroids are the most effective treatment for asthma in children and adults, with no evidence that the magnitude of benefit differs between adults and school-aged children. Leukotriene inhibitors are more widely used in children than in adults. This may be because provoking stimuli, such as environmental allergens and frequent exercise, are more important asthma triggers in children or because parental concerns about the side effects of treatment with ICS. Inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting inhaled beta(2)-agonist combinations may not be as effective in children as in they are adults in improving asthma control and reducing asthma exacerbations.