Exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids ‐ School‐age children · School‐aged children and adults
Intermittent ICS showed no clear difference in exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids ‐ School‐age children compared with placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
QoL · Preschool children (<6 years)
1 finding from 1 review
Day time asthma score Standardised mean difference · Preschool children (<6 years)
1 finding from 1 review
Night time asthma score Mean difference · Preschool children (<6 years)
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse events · Preschool children (<6 years)
Intermittent ICS showed no clear difference in adverse events compared with placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids ‐ adults · School‐aged children and adults
Intermittent ICS showed no clear difference in exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids ‐ adults compared with placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Serious adverse events · School‐aged children and adults
Intermittent ICS showed no clear difference in serious adverse events compared with placebo (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Day time asthma score Mean difference · School‐aged children and adults
1 finding from 1 review
Night time asthma score Mean difference · School‐aged children and adults
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse events · School‐aged children and adults
Intermittent ICS showed no clear difference in adverse events compared with placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Mean exacerbations requiring a course of oral corticosteroids · Preschool children (<6 years)
Intermittent ICS probably leads to lower exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids compared with placebo (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Serious adverse events · Preschool children (<6 years)
Intermittent ICS showed no clear difference in serious adverse events compared with placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Hospital admissions · Preschool children (<6 years)
It is very uncertain whether intermittent ICS changes hospitalisations compared with placebo (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Number of participants experiencing one or more episode requiring treatment with oral steroids · Children and adults with persistent asthma.
Intermittent 'as needed' ICS showed no clear difference in patients with 1 or more exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids… compared with daily ICS (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Patients with serious adverse health events (duration 12 to 52 weeks) · Children and adults with persistent asthma.
Intermittent 'as needed' ICS showed no clear difference in patients with serious adverse health events (duration 12 to 52 weeks) compared with daily ICS (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Patients with at least 1 exacerbation requiring emergency department/acute care visit (duration 12 to 52 weeks) · Children and adults with persistent asthma.
Intermittent 'as needed' ICS showed no clear difference in patients with at least 1 exacerbation requiring emergency… compared with daily ICS (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Change from baseline AM PEFR (%) (duration 44 to 52 weeks) · Children and adults with persistent asthma.
Intermittent 'as needed' ICS showed no clear difference in change from baseline AM PEFR (%) (duration 44 to 52 weeks) compared with daily ICS (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Asthma control · Children and adults with persistent asthma.
Intermittent 'as needed' ICS showed no clear difference in proportion of asthma control days over the period (duration 44 to 52… compared with daily ICS (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Change from baseline mean daily use of β2‐agonists (puffs/day) (duration 24 to 44 weeks) · Children and adults with persistent asthma.
Intermittent 'as needed' ICS showed no clear difference in change from baseline mean daily use of β2‐agonists (puffs/day)… compared with daily ICS (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Change in height · Children and adults with persistent asthma.
Intermittent 'as needed' ICS probably leads to higher change in height (cm) (duration 44 to 52 weeks) compared with daily ICS (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review