Use of Montelukast to Treat Children With Mild to Moderate Acute Asthma

Overview[ - collapse ][ - ]

Purpose The primary objective of this study is to evaluate if children with acute asthma given a single dose of oral prednisolone with a subsequent daily five-day course of oral Montelukast will achieve a therapeutic failure rate at day 8 not significantly higher than those given six daily doses of oral prednisolone. Secondary objectives include comparison of the two groups with respect to the changes in symptoms, beta2 agonists, clinical asthma score and days without asthma by day 8.
ConditionAsthma, Bronchial
InterventionDrug: Montelukast plus prednisolone
Drug: Prednisolone
PhasePhase 2
SponsorThe Hospital for Sick Children
Responsible PartyThe Hospital for Sick Children
ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT00213252
First ReceivedSeptember 13, 2005
Last UpdatedMarch 11, 2010
Last verifiedSeptember 2006

Tracking Information[ + expand ][ + ]

First Received DateSeptember 13, 2005
Last Updated DateMarch 11, 2010
Start DateSeptember 2005
Estimated Primary Completion DateNot Provided
Current Primary Outcome MeasuresTherapeutic failure rate [Time Frame: From randomization at discharge from the Emergency Department to day 8] [Designated as safety issue: No]
Current Secondary Outcome Measures
  • Number of inhaled salbutamol treatments [Time Frame: From randomization to 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 hours and day 8] [Designated as safety issue: No]
  • Change in the daytime asthma symptom scale from randomization [Time Frame: 48 hours and Day 8] [Designated as safety issue: No]
  • Change in the nighttime cough [Time Frame: 8 days] [Designated as safety issue: No]
  • Number of days without asthma [Time Frame: 8 days] [Designated as safety issue: No]
  • Change in the Pulmonary Index Score from baseline [Time Frame: 48 hours and Day 8] [Designated as safety issue: No]
  • Change in the Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure(PRAM)from baseline [Time Frame: 48 hours and Day 8] [Designated as safety issue: No]
  • Association between the main treatment effect and patients' age, disease severity at randomization (Pulmonary Index and PRAM) and personal/family history of atopy. [Time Frame: 48 hours and Day 8] [Designated as safety issue: No]

Descriptive Information[ + expand ][ + ]

Brief TitleUse of Montelukast to Treat Children With Mild to Moderate Acute Asthma
Official TitleCan Montelukast Shorten Corticosteroid Therapy In Children With Mild To Moderate Acute Asthma?
Brief Summary
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate if children with acute asthma given a
single dose of oral prednisolone with a subsequent daily five-day course of oral Montelukast
will achieve a therapeutic failure rate at day 8 not significantly higher than those given
six daily doses of oral prednisolone. Secondary objectives include comparison of the two
groups with respect to the changes in symptoms, beta2 agonists, clinical asthma score and
days without asthma by day 8.
Detailed Description
We plan a randomized double blind double-dummy trial of 190 previously healthy children 2-17
years of age presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) at the Hospital for Sick Children
in Toronto with mild to moderate acute asthma, with the Pulmonary Index score ≤ 11 points
and PRAM ≤ 8 points. Asthma will be defined as at least the second episode of wheezing,
with signs of lower airway obstruction. All participating children will receive a single
dose of oral prednisolone 2mg/kg (max 60 mg) on arrival and standardized inhaled salbutamol
in the ED and for five days thereafter. At discharge from ED children will be randomized to
two interventional groups. Those in the Montelukast group will get oral Montelukast 4 mg
(2-5 year olds), 5 mg (6-14 year olds), and 10 mg (15-17 year olds) as well as daily
prednis(ol)one placebo 24 hours after the ED dose of prednisolone and at 48, 72, 96 and 120
hours, while those in the prednisolone group will receive Montelukast placebo and daily oral
prednisolone 1mg/kg (max 60 mg) for five further doses at these times.

The primary outcome will be therapeutic failure in the two groups from randomization to day
8. This failure will be defined as unscheduled medical visits for asthma symptoms or
hospitalization or treatment with oral corticosteroids outside the experimental protocol.
Secondary outcome measures include comparison of the number of salbutamol treatments,
changes in the previously validated daytime symptoms scale, nighttime cough/awakening scale,
number of asthma-free days within the 8 day observational period in the two groups, changes
in the PI and PRAM scores to 48 hours and day 8 as well as the association between the main
treatment effect and age, pulmonary index at randomization and history of atopy.

This study will take two 9 months periods. Primary analysis will include a one-sided 95% CI
for the difference in failure rate in the prednisolone group minus the Montelukast group.
Secondary analyses will include repeated measures ANOVA for differences in changes of
continuous variables and the Fisher's Exact test for comparison of proportions. An
exploratory sub-group logistic regression analysis will be done for examining interaction
between the main treatment effect and possible covariates.

In the event that the patients given a single dose of prednisolone followed by Montelukast
have comparable therapeutic failure rate to those given standard extended prednisolone
therapy, administration of Montelukast may help us abbreviate the length of corticosteroid
therapy in children with acute asthma.
Study TypeInterventional
Study PhasePhase 2
Study DesignAllocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Treatment
ConditionAsthma, Bronchial
InterventionDrug: Montelukast plus prednisolone
Single dose of oral prednisolone with a subsequent daily five-day course of oral Montelukast
Drug: Prednisolone
Six daily doses of oral prednisolone
Study Arm (s)
  • Experimental: 1
  • Active Comparator: 2

Recruitment Information[ + expand ][ + ]

Recruitment StatusRecruiting
Estimated Enrollment190
Estimated Completion DateNot Provided
Estimated Primary Completion DateNot Provided
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

- age 2-17 years

- Clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate asthma as a second wheezing episode associated
with signs of respiratory distress suggesting lower airway obstruction such as
tachypnea and/or use of accessory muscles of respiration.

- baseline Pulmonary Index Clinical Score (Appendix B) ≤ 11 out of 15 possible points
as well as PRAM ≤ 8 out of 12 points.

- Presenting to the Sick Kids Emergency Department

- Children capable of FEV1 measurement will have FEV1 more than 60% of the predicted
value

- male or female

- Willing and able to provide informed consent (or informed consent by parents)

Exclusion Criteria:

- No previous history of wheezing or bronchodilator therapy. This population may
eventually have diagnoses other than asthma or viral induced wheezing

- Patients who received more than a single dose of oral corticosteroids within 72 hours
prior to arrival

- Patients receiving more than 500 mcg per day of fluticasone for more than 1 month or
more than 250 mcg of fluticasone for more than 7 days prior to arrival

- Patients who have had more than 2 previous visits to the asthma clinic at SickKids

- Patients who received Montelukast within one week of arrival

- Critically ill patients requiring airway stabilization

- Patients with severe asthma, defined as PI 12 to 15 or PRAM 9 to 12.

- Co-existent co-morbidities such as chronic pulmonary disease and cardiac disease
requiring pharmacotherapy, neurologic disease and immune disorders.

- Previous admission to ICU for asthma.

- More than 3 hospitalizations for asthma during the past 12 months.

- Contact with varicella within the previous 21 days.

- Insufficient command of the English language
GenderBoth
Ages2 Years
Accepts Healthy VolunteersNo
ContactsContact: Suzanne Schuh, MD
416-813-6239
suzanne.schuh@sickkids.ca
Location CountriesCanada

Administrative Information[ + expand ][ + ]

NCT Number NCT00213252
Other Study ID Numbers1000007674
Has Data Monitoring CommitteeYes
Information Provided ByThe Hospital for Sick Children
Study SponsorThe Hospital for Sick Children
CollaboratorsMerck Frosst Canada Ltd.
Investigators Principal Investigator: Suzanne Schuh, MD The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
Verification DateSeptember 2006

Locations[ + expand ][ + ]

The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X8
Contact: Suzanne Schuh, MD | 416-813-6239 | suzanne.schuh@sickkids.ca
Principal Investigator: Suzanne Schuh, MD
Recruiting