| Author Year Quality | Drug dosage Number of subjects | Mean age Range (years) | Length of follow- up (weeks) | Total Symptom Score | Other outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head-to-head trials | |||||
| Sienra-Monge 1999110 Fair | C: cetirizine 0.2 mg/kg qd L: loratadine 0.2 mg/kg qd N=80 | 4.4 2–6 | 4 | NR | Global Evaluation Score assessed by investigator: (C vs. L): −62.8% vs. −64.6% (NSD) Parent assessment of patient symptoms: C more effective in relieving rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal obstruction, and nasal pruritus (P<0.001) |
| Lee 2009114 Fair | C: cetirizine 10 mg L: Levocetirizine 5 mg P: Placebo N=80 | 8 6–12 | 12 | C: −5.54 (P<0.05 vs. levocetirizine) L: −3.30 P: −0.18 Both treatment groups better than placebo | Both treatment groups improved quality of life vs. placebo, but no difference between treatment groups. |
| Active-control trials | |||||
| Hsieh 2004107 Fair | C: cetirizine 20 mg qd M: montelukast 5 mg qd P: placebo qd N=65 | 8.1 6–12 | 12 | TSS: C<M<P weeks 4,8,12 (P<0.05) Mean rhinorrhea score C and M<P weeks 4, 8, 12 (P<0.01), C<M weeks 8 and 12 (P<0.01) Nasal itching and sneezing C<P weeks 4, 8, 12, (P<0.05) | Quality of life: Improved in C and M more than in P at 12 weeks (P<0.01) |
| Lai 2002109 Fair | C: cetirizine 10mg qd K: ketotifen 1 mg bid O: oxatomide 1 mg/kg bid P: placebo N=80 | 8.07 6–12 | 12 | C, K, and O improved mean TSS from baseline compared to P at 12 wk (P<0.01) Lower TSS for C than K and O for week 12 (P<0.05) C, K and O all demonstrated improved individual symptom scores compared to P, and results were generally significant (P<0.05) | Quality of life: higher for C and K at 12 weeks (P<0.05 vs. P) |
| Placebo-controlled trials | |||||
| Baelde 1992104 Fair | C1: cetirizine 5.0 mg bid C2: cetirizine 2.5 mg bid P: placebo bid N=138 | 8.6 2–14 | 2 | Mean % change from baseline, assessed by investigator (C1 vs. C2 vs. P) Nasal obstruction: −47.9% vs. −33.2% vs. −28.7% (C1 vs. P, P=0.03) Rhinorrhea: 59.4% vs. 47.3% vs. 37.9% (C1 vs. P, P=0.03) Sneezy: 68.2% vs. 47.3% vs. 37.9% (C2 vs. P, P=0.04) Pharyngeal drip: 77.2% vs. 53.2% vs. 54.9% (C1 vs. C2, P=0.03) Nasal pruritus: NSD, data not reported Overall average score for all symptoms: C1 vs. P, P=0.01 | Global evaluation by investigators: C1 > C2 (P=0.04) C1 > P (P=0.006) Evaluation by parents: C1 vs. P and C2 vs. P, both NSD |
| Ciprandi 2001105 Fair | C: cetirizine 5 mg qd P: placebo qd N=20 | 6.5 3–10 | 24 | Weekly mean rhinitis scores: C< P for 24/24 weeks; between-group difference significant for 11/24 weeks (P<0.05) Weekly mean asthma symptom scores: C <P for 6/24 weeks (P<0.05); for 10/24 weeks P<C (NSD); for 8/24 weeks C=P | |
| Jobst 1994108 Fair | C1: cetirizine 2.5 mg qd C2: cetirizine 5 mg qd C3 cetirizine 10 mg qd P: placebo qd N=330 | NR 6–12 | 2 | Investigator-assigned severest symptom scores: between-group differences, week 2 (P=0.052), P had highest score; NSD among C1, C2, and C3 at end week 2 Over time patient’s severest symptom score decreased in all groups, most marked for C3, least marked for P | Considering patient’s severest symptom (% days asymptomatic): C3>P (P=0.008), NSD C1 vs. P and C2 vs. P % days when symptoms were absent or mild: C3>P (P=0.016), NSD C1 vs. P and C2 vs. P % days when no severe symptoms: C1>P (P=0.012), C2>P (P=0.006), C3>P (P=0.002) |
| Yang 2001111 Fair | L: loratadine syrup 5 mg if < 30 kg, 10 mg if >30 kg P: placebo N=46 | 6.3 3–12 | Mean % change in investigator-assessed TSS from baseline, L vs. P Day 21: −42.2% vs. −22.7% (P=0.063) % decrease in patient- evaluated TSS from baseline Week 3: −13.2% vs. −5.6% (P=0.014) | ||
Abbreviations: bid, twice daily; NR, not reported; NSD, no significant difference; NS, not significant; qd, once daily; tid, 3 times daily; TSS, Total Symptom Score; wk, week.
Only fair- and good-quality studies are presented in the table. Poor-quality studies are listed in Appendix F.
From: Results
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