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Using More Than 6 Canisters of Short-Acting Beta2-Agonists Indicates High Risk for Asthma Exacerbations in Children: Presented at AAAAI By Maggie Schwarz WASHINGTON, DC -- March 18, 2009 -- Physicians need to watch for overuse of short-acting beta2-agonists (SABAs) in children because use of 6 or more canisters per year of rescue inhalers is associated with a higher risk of asthma exacerbations in these patients, researchers warned in a presentation here at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting. In a presentation on March 15, investigator Christopher M. Blanchette, PhD, University of North Caroline School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, presented results of a study that evaluated whether increased SABA use can predict asthma exacerbations and whether other factors may influence the risk of exacerbations in children. The study was a cross-sectional analysis of 33,951 children in a commercial insurance database. Dr. Blanchette explained that although high utilisation of SABAs is associated with asthma exacerbations in paediatric patients, the threshold for high SABA use has not been established. In the cohort studied, 24.0% of children had used no SABA canisters/year, 46.3% had used 0.5 to 2 canisters/year, 22.8% had used 2.5 to 6 canisters/year, 5.3% had used 6.5 to 12 canisters/year, and 1.6% had used >12 canisters/year, while 9.3% had used >=6 canisters/year. Use of SABAs was associated with a higher risk of exacerbations, with odds ratios (OR) versus 0 canisters per year of 2.23 for 0.5 to 2 canisters, 3.53 for 2.5 to 6 canisters, 4.80 for 6.6 to 12 canisters, and 6.41 for >12 canisters. Children using 6 or more canisters per year had a 2-fold greater risk of having an exacerbation compared with children using fewer SABA canisters (OR, 2.17). Dr. Blanchette concluded that physicians need to watch for overuse of SABAs because overuse indicates uncontrolled asthma and need to adjust asthma controller medications accordingly. Funding for this study was provided by AstraZeneca. [Presentation title: Short-Acting Beta2-Agonist Utilization and Risk of Asthma Exacerbation Among a Commercially Insured Pediatric Population in the United States. Abstract 603] E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version