Drug Information Analysis Service: Effectiveness of Cromolyn Sodium in Treating Asthma in Children Under 2 Years Old

The document from 1994 reviews the effectiveness of cromolyn sodium in treating asthma in children under 2 years old, with mixed results across different studies. Henry et al.'s study with 23 patients aged 4 to 23.6 months showed no significant improvement with cromolyn compared to placebo. Geller-Bernstein and Levin's study with 49 patients aged 3-24 months found cromolyn more effective in controlling wheezing in children aged 12-24 months but not in younger children. Yuksel and Greenough's study with 16 patients aged 4-31 months reported significant improvement with cromolyn, including in patients less than 12 months old. The document suggests that age may influence the response to cromolyn, with older children benefiting more, and highlights the need for more controlled trials to assess efficacy and safety, especially in infants. Cromolyn is recommended for a six-week trial in children under 2 with recurrent asthma due to the lack of other safe treatments. The document also discusses amiloride for treating lithium-induced polyuria, recommending a starting dose of 10 mg/day with close monitoring, and notes the usefulness of quantitative fluorometry and fluorescein in predicting vascular complications in transplants and assessing the viability of skin flaps, respectively.