Patient characteristics
| Nedocromil sodium (n = 38) | Placebo (n = 41) | |
|---|---|---|
| Sex: | ||
| Boys | 23 | 23 |
| Girls | 15 | 18 |
| Mean (range) age (years) | 8.6 (6–12) | 9.0 (6–12) |
| Mean (range) height (cm) | 134.1 (115–159) | 134.3 (104–161) |
| Mean (range) weight (kg) | 31.7 (22–49) | 32.8 (17–68) |
| Atopic status | ||
| Atopic | 24 | 20 |
| Non-atopic | 3 | 9 |
| Unknown | 11 | 12 |
| Mean (SD, range) lung function (pre-bronchodilator) | ||
| FEV1 (l) | 1.424 (0.542, 0.51–2.83) | 1.438 (0.604, 0.53–2.66) |
| FVC (l) | 1.880 (0.609, 0.81–3.48) | 1.813 (0.663, 0.63–3.06) |
| PEF (l/min) | 186 (75.57, 69–364) | 192.8 (65.91, 93–347) |
| Mean (SD, range) lung function (post-bronchodilator) | ||
| FEV1 (l) | 1.627 (0.510, 0.80–2.88) | 1.595 (0.566, 0.67–2.73) |
| FVC (l) | 1.982 (0.583, 1.00–3.39) | 1.957 (0.597, 0.77–3.31) |
| PEF (l/min) | 215.3 (67.71, 103–363) | 214.9 (72.81, 84–368) |
| Mean (SD, range) reversibility of FEV1 (%) | 19.8 (17.68, 2–57) | 16.6 (12.68, 2–68) |
| Oral corticosteroids used in treatment of acute attack: | ||
| Yes | 16 | 22 |
| No | 17 | 11 |
| Asthma treatment on admission: | ||
| β2 agonists | 35 | 41 |
| Theophyllines | 7 | 4 |
| Beclomethasone dipropionate | 0 | 1 |
| Ipratropium bromide | 0 | 1 |
| Sodium cromoglycate | 0 | 1 |
FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in one second; FVC = forced vital capacity; PEF = peak expiratory flow.