1. Clinical need for a nebulized corticosteroid
Stanley J. Szefler, MD 
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 
Volume 104, Issue 4, Pages S162-S168 (October 1999)
DOI: /S (99)
Copyright © 1999 Mosby, Inc. Terms and Conditions

2. Fig. 1
Asthma mortality rates among children by age group in the United States. (From Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Asthma mortality and hospitalization among children and young adults: United States, MMWR 1996;45:350-3.)
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  , S162-S168DOI: ( /S (99) )
Copyright © 1999 Mosby, Inc. Terms and Conditions

3. Fig. 2
Comparison of improvements in morning and evening PEF versus baseline in patients treated with budesonide as first-line therapy within 1 year of the diagnosis of asthma and patients treated with budesonide more than 2 years after diagnosis. Each comparison of first-line versus delayed therapy is significant (P < .05). (Adapted from data published in Haahtela T, Järvinen M, Kava T, Kiviranta K, Koskinen S, Lehtonen K, et al. Effects of reducing or discontinuing inhaled budesonide in patients with mild asthma. N Engl J Med 1994;331:700-5.)
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  , S162-S168DOI: ( /S (99) )
Copyright © 1999 Mosby, Inc. Terms and Conditions

4. Fig. 3
The effect of early intervention on improvements in FEV1 in children receiving inhaled budesonide therapy. (From Agertoft L, Pedersen S. Effects of long-term treatment with an inhaled corticosteroid on growth and pulmonary function in asthmatic children. Respir Med 1994;88: By permission.)
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  , S162-S168DOI: ( /S (99) )
Copyright © 1999 Mosby, Inc. Terms and Conditions

5. Fig. 4
The use of antiasthmatic therapy by age group in the United States. Data are presented as percent of patients being treated with various agents within each age group.51
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  , S162-S168DOI: ( /S (99) )
Copyright © 1999 Mosby, Inc. Terms and Conditions

6. Fig. 5
The 1996 international prescribing ratio of inhaled steroids to short-acting β2-agonist metered-dose inhalers.52
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  , S162-S168DOI: ( /S (99) )
Copyright © 1999 Mosby, Inc. Terms and Conditions