In kids and adolescents, Montelukast demonstrated effectiveness in tackling symptoms of asthma when compared to a placebo. However, inhaled corticosteroids proved to be superior in alleviating symptoms, particularly during nighttime. The researchers evaluated the influence of Montelukast on pediatric patients with asthma/allergic rhinitis, utilizing patient-reported outcome measures and comparing the outcomes with other treatments.

The investigators employed Embase and MEDLINE databases to conduct the search. Two authors autonomously chose studies and extracted data, while a third reviewer addressed disparities. Meta-analyses were formulated to gauge the standardized mean difference (SMD) employing a random-effects model. Among the 3,937 articles identified, 49 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, predominantly consisting of randomized clinical trials with sample sizes ranging from 21 to 689 patients.

The alteration in SMD for pooled estimators across the physical, mental, and global domains of health-linked quality of life did not exhibit statistical significance. In terms of daytime and nighttime symptom scores, the SMD (95% Confidence Interval [CI]) showed a preference for inhaled corticosteroids (-0.12, -0.20- -0.05 and -0.23, -0.41- -0.06, respectively). The combined estimator for global asthma symptoms demonstrated better outcomes for Montelukast when compared to a placebo (0.90, 0.44-1.36).

The compilation of available evidence indicates that, among children and adolescents, Montelukast proved effective in managing asthma symptoms compared to a placebo. However, inhaled corticosteroids exhibited superiority in symptom control, particularly during nighttime.