Bronchodilators for Wheeze in Young Children Presenting to Primary Care: a Randomised, Placebo-controlled, Multicentre, Parallel Group Trial (KIWI)

UMC Utrecht

Status and phase

Withdrawn

Phase 4

Conditions

Wheezing

Treatments

Drug: Salbutamol

Drug: Placebo

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04584034

NL72651

Details and patient eligibility

About

Ten percent of infants are prescribed short-acting bronchodilators (i.e. salbutamol) for wheezing every year, yet evidence to support this treatment in children younger than two years old is scarce. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of salbutamol for treatment of wheezing in young children who present to their primary care physician.

In this study, the investigators will compare the effect of a 7-day treatment with salbutamol to the effect of 7-day treatment with a placebo. The main effect will be measured by evaluating a parent-reported symptom score. Additionally, the investigators will look at the presence of wheeze after 5 days, time to recovery, adverse events, healthcare utilisation, medication prescriptions, cost-effectiveness, and parent satisfaction with treatment.

Full description

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, 30% of all infants and young children experience an episode of wheezing (Matricaldi et al. 2008; Mallol at al. 2010; Martinez et al. 1995). Currently, there is no evidence to underpin the management of these children. National Belgian and Dutch primary care professional guidelines propose 'a trial of treatment' with short acting bronchodilators (i.e. salbutamol) for wheezing children below the age of six years and to evaluate treatment effect after 1 to 2 weeks, but convincing evidence is lacking (Chavasse et al. 2002).

The effect of salbutamol has been studied well in children with proven asthma and is considered the first-line treatment in all patients in international asthma guidelines. However, trial findings of children with asthma are not applicable to primary care infants and young children with acute wheeze for several reasons; the anatomy and physiology in younger children differs significantly from those in older children and many infants and young children with an acute episode of wheezing do not experience further wheezing episodes later in life. As a result, it is at present unclear whether salbutamol inhalation therapy confers any benefit in young children who wheeze.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the (cost-)effectiveness of salbutamol inhalations (4x200μg for 7 days) versus placebo in children aged 6-24 months presenting to their primary care physician with wheezing.

DESIGN: A primary care based, randomised, placebo-controlled, multicentre, parallel group trial in 40 general practices and community paediatric practices in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Sex

All

Ages

6 to 24 months old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Presenting to their primary care physician because of wheezing as confirmed by clinical examination (chest auscultation)
A baseline score of 7 or higher on a parent-reported respiratory symptom score

Exclusion criteria

Prematurity (<37 weeks)
Major congenital malformations
Pre-existing pulmonary disease as diagnosed by a paediatrician
Continuous use of inhalation medication
Physician visit because of wheezing in previous two weeks
Use of inhalation medication in the previous two weeks
Wheezing as a result of upper airway obstruction (i.e. laryngitis subglottica/pseudocroup)
Severe illness requiring inhalation medication, prescription of antibiotics, or hospital referral during the consultation of inclusion