Browsing by Author "Altintas, D"

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    Effectiveness of montelukast in pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis
    Yilmaz, O; Altintas, D; Rondon, C; Cingi, C; Oghan, F
    Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood and carries significant morbidity as well as physical and psychosocial consequences. Therapy aims to alleviate clinical symptoms, prevent complications and improve psychosocial consequences. Leukotrienes which are amongst the main mediators in pathogenesis of AR have chemotactic properties and lead to increased vascular permeability. Thus, leukotriene antagonism may be an effective therapeutic option in treatment of allergic diseases, specifically AR. Montelukast which is a leukotriene receptor type I inhibitor has variable efficacy in children with AR and the guidelines recommend its use in children with seasonal AR aged six years and above. Although its efficacy is inferior to anti-histamines and intranasal corticosteroids, combination treatment may warrant clinical efficacy. Therefore, montelukast may be considered to be a well-tolerated therapeutic option for children with AR with minor side effects though long term results need to be assessed. In conclusion, larger scale research enrolling pediatric cases with seasonal and persistent AR are required before concise recommendations about montelukast use in pediatric AR can be made. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    A multicenter survey of childhood asthma in Turkey - II: Utilization of asthma drugs, control levels and their determinants
    Soyer, OU; Beyhun, NE; Demir, E; Yildirim, S; Boz, AB; Altinel, N; Cevit, O; Karakas, T; Anlar, Y; Sögüt, A; Altintas, D; Canitez, Y; Büyükdereli, Z; Sekerel, BE
    Many surveys worldwide have consistently demonstrated a low level of asthma control and under-utilization of preventive asthma drugs. However, these studies have been frequently criticized for using population-based samples, which include many patients with no or irregular follow-ups. Our aim, in this study, was to define the extent of asthma drug utilization, control levels, and their determinants among children with asthma attending to pediatric asthma centers in Turkey. Asthmatic children (age range: 6-18 yr) with at least 1-yr follow-up seen at 12 asthma outpatient clinics during a 1-month period with scheduled or unscheduled visits were included and were surveyed with a questionnaire-guided interview. Files from the previous year were evaluated retrospectively to document control levels and their determinants. From 618 children allocated, most were mild asthmatics (85.6%). Almost 30% and 15% of children reported current use of emergency service and hospitalization, respectively; and 51.4% and 53.1% of children with persistent and intermittent disease, respectively, were on daily preventive therapy, including inhaled corticosteroids. Disease severity [odds ratio: 12.6 (95% confidence intervals: 5.3-29.8)], hospitalization within the last year [3.4 (1.4-8.2)], no use of inhaled steroids [2.9 (1.1- 7.3)], and female gender [2.3 (1.1-5.4)] were major predictors of poor asthma control as defined by their physicians. In this national pediatric asthma study, we found a low level of disease control and discrepancies between preventive drug usage and disease severity, which shows that the expectations of guidelines have not been met even in facilitated centers, thus indicating the need to revise the severity-based approach of asthma guidelines. Efforts to implement the control-based approach of new guidelines (Global Initiative for Asthma 2006) would be worthwhile.
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    What is the contribution of the childhood asthma control test to asthma care?
    Soyer, OU; Kilic, M; Keskin, O; Asilsoy, S; Altinel, N; Karaman, O; Yazicioglu, M; Sapan, N; Zeyrek, D; Kotan, C; Ozmen, S; Reisli, I; Aydogan, M; Altintas, D; Orhan, F; Yuksel, H; Boz, AB; Gurkan, F; Tahan, F; Cevit, O; Sekerel, B