evaluation of omeprazole in the treatment of moderate to severe persistent asthma in children

background and objective: asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood. the disease is caused by a temporary blockage of airflow due to chronic inflammation of the airways . one of the conditions that often occur with asthma and exacerbate disease, is gastroesophageal reflux. the aim of this study is to evaluate the role of acid suppressing therapy in patients with refractory asthma.   materials and methods: in this study children with moderate to severe asthma under maintenance therapy at least for 3 months and poor response to treatment were evaluated.after exclusion of other exacerbating conditions, treatment with proton pump inhibitor was initiated and reassessment was done.   results: the frequency of mild intermittent asthma increased from 0 to 30% and mild persistent from 40 to 70% whereas moderate persistent asthma decreased from 60% to 0 and there is no case of severe persistent asthma.differences in disease stage before and after treatment were statisticaly significant.   conclusion:  based on the role of antireflux therapy in persistent asthma, we recommend treatment with proton pump inhibitor for these patients after exclusion of other exacerbating conditions. key words: asthma, omeprazol, reflux .