Background: Non-specific cough is defined as non-productive cough in the absence of identifiable respiratory disease or known aetiology. It is commonly seen in paediatric practice. These children are treated with a variety of therapies including inhaled cromones.
Objectives: To determine the efficacy of inhaled cromones in the management of prolonged non-specific cough in children.
Search strategy: The Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register Collaboration and Cochrane Airways Group, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched. Australian representative of the relevant pharmaceutical company was contacted. The latest searches were performed in October 2003.
Selection criteria: All randomised controlled trials comparing inhaled cromones with a placebo medication.
Data collection and analysis: Results of searches were reviewed against pre-determined criteria for inclusion. No eligible trials were identified and thus no data were available for analysis. One single arm open trial in children and one small randomised controlled trial in adults were reported.
Main results: No randomised-controlled trials that examined the efficacy of inhaled cromones in the management of prolonged non-specific cough in children were found. In the non randomised trials above, a significant effect was seen within two weeks of therapy.
Reviewers' conclusions: There is currently an absence of evidence to support the routine use of inhaled cromones for symptomatic control of non-specific cough in children. Further research examining the effects of this intervention is needed.