Leukotriene receptor antagonist for prolonged non-specific cough in children

Children with non-specific cough (dry and non-productive cough without any other respiratory symptom, sign or systemic illness) are commonly treated with a variety of medications to treat the symptom of cough. This review examined whether there was any evidence for using leukotriene receptor antagonist in children with non-specific cough. There were two randomised controlled trials that included, but was not restricted to, children with non-specific cough, whereby no significant advantage over placebo was found in both studies. There is no RCT evidence to support the routine use of leukotriene receptor antagonist for the symptom of non-specific cough in children. Further research examining the effects of this treatment using child appropriate cough outcome measures is needed.