RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 A randomised, placebo controlled trial of inhaled salbutamol and beclomethasone for recurrent cough JF Archives of Disease in Childhood JO Arch Dis Child FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health SP 6 OP 11 DO 10.1136/adc.79.1.6 VO 79 IS 1 A1 Anne B Chang A1 Peter D Phelan A1 John B Carlin A1 Susan M Sawyer A1 Colin F Robertson YR 1998 UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/79/1/6.abstract AB AIMS To test the hypothesis that inhaled salbutamol or beclomethasone will reduce the frequency of cough in children with recurrent cough. A secondary aim was to determine if the presence of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) can predict the response. DESIGN Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. METHODS During a coughing phase, 43 children (age 6–17 years) with recurrent cough were randomised to receive inhaled salbutamol or placebo (phase I) for 5–7 days and then beclomethasone or placebo (phase II) for 4–5 weeks, and in a subgroup of children for 8–9 weeks. The children used an ambulatory cough meter, kept cough diaries, and performed the capsaicin cough sensitivity, hypertonic saline bronchoprovocation, and skin prick tests. RESULTS Salbutamol or beclomethasone had no effect on cough frequency or score, irrespective of the presence of AHR. CONCLUSIONS Most children with recurrent cough without other evidence of airway obstruction, do not have asthma and neither inhaled salbutamol nor beclomethasone is beneficial.