news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/...
'More than one in 10 children with asthma are taking inhalers that may do nothing for them, UK researchers say.
In Britain alone, 100,000 children - 13% of all children with asthma - carry two copies of a gene that renders the blue inhaler drug salbutamol redundant.
If these children need to use their ""reliever"" inhaler daily they are 30% more likely to suffer an asthma attack than others, their study shows.'
Anyone else see this? Opinions?
Vicky x
I heard it on Radio 2, and as I understood it, the children affected had a different gene, not found in all Asthmatic Children. Parents are advised that children should continue with their medication, but if I personally found that any children I might have had were not getting the full benefits of Salbutamol, I would seek medical advice and maybe suggest changing to an alternative. Of course more research needs to be done on this, as mentioned in the news bulletin I heard.
What about adults?
Bex
The study conducted only considered children, maybe adults were not considered because either the funding of this project did not allow or that many children grow out of the condition and therefore it wasn't thought necessary to extend the research into adults. But good point Bex hadn't thought about that.
Katina is pretty much spot on. I heard about this report yesterday, I think, and my first thought was, ""Yes - that's what Bricanyl is for""!
Wooo for Bricanyl!
As a specialist nurse working only with respiratory children in a regional centre, I would want to read this in more details before making any assumptions about Salbutamol.
In my experience (nearly 10 yrs in this specialisty alone) I would want to be sure the inhaler technique had been considered first, along with the type of devices they are useing as these have more impact than anything else.
I have yet to receive a new patient referral from the GP/community that isnt using an MDI directly into the mouth &/or using an inappropriate device.
Ann
The Behind the Headlines team at NHS choices have done their usual thorough analysis of these reports - available here: nhs.uk/news/2009/10October/... . There is a link at the bottom to the original article but I can access the abstract only, as it seems to be paywalled
Claire
Asthma inhaler?
Sever asthma yes or no ? 
Asthma attack advice
Asthma at primary school
Diagnosing asthma in young children?
