Antihistamines in the Management of Pediatric Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review

The clinical benefit of newer antihistamines (AHs) versus other active treatments has not been assessed in pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis. A systematic literature search was performed in MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception through August 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing newer with older AHs, corticosteroids, or montelukast were included. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used for quality assessment. Out of 10,656 citations, 16 RCTs (N = 1653) with a duration from 10 days to 3 months were included. When compared with older-generation AHs, the administration of newer AHs did not confer significant benefit and appeared less effective compared with intranasal corticosteroids. However, newer AHs were more potent in achieving symptom control compared with montelukast. Data regarding quality of life were generally missing. The incidence of adverse events was low in all treatment groups. The included RCTs were characterized by moderate risk of bias. Newer AHs are effective in symptom control and well tolerated in the pediatric population. However, inadequate reporting, variation in outcome measures, and a paucity of sufficient randomized comparisons precluded us from quantifying the relative efficacy of newer AHs compared with other treatment options.