PPIs, childhood asthma, and the problem of therapeutic creep.

www.aafp.org/afp Volume 89, Number 6 ◆ March 15, 2014 Do PPIs improve symptoms in children with poorly controlled asthma? Bob: Previous studies have left open the question of whether proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) improve asthma symptoms. There may be benefit to PPI use in adults with asthma and reflux symptoms. However, there is no benefit in those without reflux symptoms. It has been hypothesized that untreated gastroesophageal reflux is sometimes responsible for inadequate asthma control in children. With 2.6 million PPI prescriptions written for children in 2009 and a growing body of evidence regarding their adverse effects, it is important to determine if PPIs improve asthma control in this population.1