SynthesisBMJ paediatrics open2021
Adverse drug reactions of leukotriene receptor antagonists in children with asthma: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ paediatrics open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Establishing the best step-up treatments for children with uncontrolled asthma despite inhaled corticosteroids: the EINSTEIN systematic review, network meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis using individual participant data.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Montelukast in paediatric asthma and allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Comparative Risk for Neuropsychiatric Events in Leukotriene Receptor Antagonist vs. Inhaled Corticosteroid in Children With Asthma: A Nationwide Observational Study With a Complementary Analysis Using Natural Language Processing.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2025Observational
- Pediatric Pharmacy Association 2025 KIDs List of Key Potentially Inappropriate Drugs in Pediatrics.The journal of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics : JPPT : the official journal of PPAG · 2025Article
- Potentially Overlooked Risk for Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Children: Montelukast Treatment.Journal of paediatrics and child health · 2025Observational
- Unveiling the Complexities of Pediatric Asthma Treatment: Evidence, Controversies, and Emerging Approaches.Paediatric drugs · 2025Review
- Article
- Risk of neuropsychiatric adverse events associated with montelukast use in children and adolescents: a population-based case-crossover study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2024Article
- Article
- Current and Optimal Practices in Childhood Asthma Monitoring Among Multiple International Stakeholders.JAMA network open · 2023Article
- Diagnosis and management of asthma in children.BMJ paediatrics open · 2022Review
- Montelukast induces beneficial behavioral outcomes and reduces inflammation in male and female rats.Frontiers in immunology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Asthma is the most common chronic condition of childhood. Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) are included in international guidelines for children and young people (CYP), but there have been highly publicised concerns about potential adverse effects. The aim was to identify and understand the reported frequency of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) attributed to LTRAs in CYP with asthma. Methods: Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed and CINAHL were searched up to October 2020. Reference lists of eligible papers were manually screened. Eligible studies identified adverse events attributed to an LTRA in individuals aged between 0 and 18 years diagnosed with asthma. Four different tools were used to assess risk of bias or quality of data to accommodate the papers assessed. Results: The search identified 427 papers after deduplication; 15 were included (7 case reports, 7 case-controlled or cohort studies and 1 randomised control trial (RCT)). 7012 patients were recorded, of which 6853 received an LTRA. 13 papers examined the ADRs attributed to montelukast, one to pranlukast and one to unspecified LTRAs. After language standardisation, 48 ADRs were found, 20 of which were psychiatric disorders. Across all studies, the most commonly reported ADRs were 'anxiety', 'sleep disorders' and 'mood disorders'. The frequency of ADRs could be calculated in seven of the eight studies. Applying standardised frequency terms to the prospective studies and RCT, there were 14 'common' and 'uncommon' ADRs. 'Common' ADRs included 'agitation/hyperactivity/irritability/nervousness', 'aggression' and 'headache'. The case reports showed a similar pattern, describing 46 different ADRs experienced by a total of eight patients. Conclusions: LTRAs have a wide range of suspected ADRs in CYP, predominantly gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric disorders. Careful monitoring of CYP with asthma is required, both to assess and manage ADRs and to step treatment down when clinically stable. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020209627.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.