The use of decongestants for the treatment of runny nose symptom in children: the clinical and pharmaceutical analysis of the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine

Abstract

The rational treatment of acute rhinosinusitis of infectious or allergic origin is an urgent task of both therapeutic and pediatric practice. This problem is of particular importance in connection with its prevalence in children, with a large list of drugs for the symptomatic treatment, the presence of significant side effects in active pharmaceutical ingredients, the peculiarities of the use of dosage forms, as well as a wide range of OTC drugs, including those approved for use in children.Aim. To develop recommendations for introducing changes or additions to the peculiarities of using decongestants for topical use in diseases of the nasal cavity (sympathomimetics, corticosteroids, antihistamines, etc.) in children (under 15 years of age) in the Protocol of the Pharmacist “Symptomatic treatment of rhinitis”.Materials and methods. To achieve the goal, the clinical and pharmaceutical analysis of decongestants for local use in diseases of the nasal cavity (sympathomimetics, corticosteroids, antihistamines, etc.), registered and marketed inUkraine was performed.Results. As a result of the study it has been found that in February 2020 there are 146 decongestants for local use in diseases of the nasal cavity registered at the Ukrainian market. 87.7 % of the drugs are OTC and can be used by patients/patient representatives independently. 12.3 % of the drugs (18 items, mainly from the group of corticosteroids) are dispensed by prescription. The analysis of the composition of decongestants has been performed; it has been found that agents based on oxymetazoline (21.2 %) and xylometazoline and its combinations (39 %) prevail. When studying the prescribing information it has been found that 136 of 146 trade names can be used in the case of a cold in children under the age of15. In addition, depending on the age, the ranking of their active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can be presented by the following sequence: sodium chloride (0.65 %), phenylephrine hydrochloride (0.125 %), oxymetazoline hydrochloride (0.01 %). Clinical and pharmacological evaluation of undesirable effects of APIs and the ways of their prevention have been performed.Conclusions. The range and presence of undesirable effects of APIs of modern decongestants requires a cautious approach to responsible self-medication and a careful selection of the drug for the symptomatic treatment of acute rhinosinusitis in children. It is recommended to clarify the Protocol of the Pharmacist “Symptomatic treatment of rhinitis” on the possibility of using decongestants for topical use in diseases of the nasal cavity in children of different ages.