INTRANASAL FLUTICASONE PROPIONATE VERSUS LORATADINE IN THE TREATMENT OF ADOLESCENT PATIENTS WITH SEASONAL ALLERGIC RHINITIS

Fluticasone propionate (FP) is a topical corticosteroid with minimal s ystemic activity. We examined safety and compared the efficacy of FP a queous nasal spray 200 mu g every day with loratadine tablets, 10 mg b y mouth every day in 240 adolescents with ragweed pollen-induced seaso nal allergic rhinitis for 4 weeks in a randomized, double-blind, paral lel-group study. Nasal and eye symptoms were recorded daily on a 4-poi nt (0 to 3) scale. A higher percentage of symptom-free days was observ ed for nasal blockage on waking during treatment with FP (p < 0.0001). Significant results were also obtained for all other nasal symptoms w hen analyzed for both symptom-free days and symptom scores. No differe nces were found for eye irritation symptoms (p = 0.14). Morning and ev ening nasal peak inspiratory flow (PIF) was recorded daily by 57 subje cts. FP treatment was associated with significantly higher PIF values than loratadine both morning (p = 0.0051) and evening (p = 0.0036). A greater improvement over 4 weeks was observed for PIF morning values i n the FP group (p = 0.008) but not for evening values (p = 0.358). Sta tistically significant correlations were found for nasal blockage and PIF in the morning (r = -0.54, p = 0.0001) and in the evening (r = -0. 46, p = 0.008).