Ketotifen in the treatment of infants and young children with wheezy bronchitis and bronchial asthma.

Ketotifen, an orally-administered anti-anaphylactic and antihistamine compound, was given in a dose of 0.06 mg/kg to 142 infants and young children presenting either with non-infected wheezy bronchitis or bronchial asthma to an allergy out-patient department. Treatment continued for 12 weeks. At the end of this time, ketotifen was considered to be very effective or effective in 70% of the children. The effect was more marked in non-infected wheezy bronchitis (83.55% response) than in bronchial asthma (56.5% response), perhaps because factors such as leukotrienes, prostaglandins and thromboxanes tend to produce a sustained bronchoconstriction in the latter condition. Ketotifen was not associated with any adverse effects and did not cause behavioural problems. Patients found it palatable and acceptable. The main disadvantage was that symptoms recurred within days of stopping treatment. Especially in non-infected wheezy bronchitis, ketotifen should be given for a year or longer to older children (older than 30 months) who have shown an initial good response to the drug.