***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: The results are reported here of a long-term double-blind controlled clinical trial of disodium cromoglycate ( D.S.C.G. ) and isoprenaline , D.S.C.G. alone , isoprenaline alone , and a placebo given as a powder for inhalation in the treatment of severe bronchial asthma . At the end of one year 16 out of 20 patients on D.S.C.G.-isoprenaline  remained on the allocated capsules , compared with 10 out of 15 on D.S.C.G. , 5 out of 20 on isoprenaline , and 3 out of 19 taking the placebo . The differences between each of the D.S.C.G.-isoprenaline and D.S.C.G. regimens compared with the isoprenaline and placebo regimens were statistically significant . After eight weeks on four capsules a day the patients in each group were allocated at r and om so that half continued on full dosage and half on a reducing regimen . At the end of the year there was no significant difference in the failure rate between patients allocated the full dosage and the patients on the reducing dosage . The capsules were well tolerated and toxicity to D.S.C.G. was not observed BACKGROUND Inhalation therapy with sodium cromoglycate is recommended as the first-line prophylactic treatment for moderate asthma in children . The availability of spacer devices with face-masks has extended the applicability of metered-dose inhalers to younger children . We studied the feasibility and effects of this therapy compared with placebo in children aged 1 - 4 years . METHODS 218 children aged 1 - 4 years with moderate asthma were recruited through 151 general practitioners between March , 1995 , and March , 1996 . They were r and omly assigned sodium cromoglycate ( 10 mg three times daily ) or placebo , given by inhaler with spacer device and face-mask for 5 months . Rescue medication ( ipratropium plus fenoterol aerosol ) was available during the baseline period of 1 month and the intervention period . Parents completed a daily symptom-score list . The primary outcome measure was the proportion of symptom-free days in months 2 to 5 . Analysis was by both intention to treat and on treatment . FINDINGS 167 ( 77 % ) children completed the trial . 131 ( 78 % ) of these children used at least 80 % of the recommended dose . Of the 51 children who stopped prematurely , 23 had difficulties with inhaled treatment . The mean proportion of symptom-free days for both groups was greater for the treatment period than for the baseline period ( 95 % CI for mean difference 5.1 to 17.5 cromoglycate , 11.9 to 23.3 placebo ) . However there were no differences between the sodium cromoglycate and placebo groups in the proportion of symptom-free days ( mean 65.7 [ SD 25.3 ] vs 64.3 [24.5]% ; 95 % CI for difference -8.46 to 5.70 ) or in any other outcome measure . INTERPRETATION Our study in a general practice setting shows that inhalation therapy with a spacer device and face-mask is feasible in a majority of children below the age of 4 years . However , long-term prophylactic therapy with inhaled sodium cromoglycate is not more effective than placebo in this age-group Summary A double-blind , cross-over trial of disodium cromoglycate was carried out over a period of 6 weeks in 6 children and 4 adults . The reliability of symptomatic assessment was established by demonstrating concordance between four independent observers who rated symptoms on a notionally continuous scale . Significant clinical improvement was found during disodium cromoglycate therapy . This was not necessarily matched by improvement in the FEV in individual patients . The study is in general agreement with the reports of Howell and Altounyan ( 1967 ) , Kennedy ( 1967 ) , Smith and Devey ( 1968 ) and Moran et al. ( 1968 ) A previous investigation by Lambert et al. , which used computer simulation to examine the influence of choice of prior distribution on inferences from Bayesian  r and om  effects meta- analysis  , is critically examined from a number of viewpoints . The practical example used is shown to be problematic . The various prior distributions are shown to be unreasonable in terms of what they imply about the joint distribution of the overall treatment effect and the r and om effects variance . An alternative form of prior distribution is tentatively proposed . Finally , some practical recommendations are made that stress the value both of fixed effect analyses and of frequentist approaches as well as various diagnostic investigations A double-blind , placebo-controlled study was performed to determine the efficacy and safety of cromolyn sodium ( Intal ) administered to children by metered dose inhaler ( MDI ) . Prior to entry , subjects were well controlled on cromolyn sodium capsules by Spinhaler turbo-inhaler plus beta 2 agonists . An active control interval of 2 weeks on cromolyn sodium capsules was followed by a 4-week single-blind period on placebo capsules . Those subjects whose asthma worsened significantly on placebo entered a 10-week double-blind phase , r and omized to receive either cromolyn sodium ( 2 mg per dose ) or placebo by MDI . Diary data , physician evaluation , and pulmonary function tests were used to assess efficacy , and scores were compared with the baseline value at 2-week intervals . Forty children with asthma , 8 to 20 years of age , entered the study and 32 qualified for the r and omized phase . No significant differences existed between the treatment groups at baseline . Most comparative data favored the cromolyn sodium group over the course of the study . Significant differences ( p less than .05 ) were noted for diary scores of breathlessness and overall asthma severity . There was significant improvement at the final visit favoring the cromolyn sodium group in restriction on normal activity , FEV1 , and PEFR . The cromolyn sodium group also experienced a decreasing need for concomitant bronchodilators . Both groups preferred pressurized aerosol by MDI over powdered capsules by Spinhaler . ( Intal and Spinhaler are registered trademarks of Fisons Corporation . Cromolyn sodium is a recently introduced drug used in the prophylactic treatment of severe , perennial , bronchial asthma , particularly in the pediatric age group . In a multicenter trial , 276 chronic asthmatic patients of eight pediatric allergists entered a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , crossover study lasting 12 weeks . Test compounds of cromolyn sodium or placebo were inhaled four times a day , and daily scores were kept of symptom severity as well as frequency of use of other medications . Patients had statistically significant lower average daily symptom scores when treated with cromolyn sodium as compared to treatment with placebo . A strong subjective preference for cromolyn sodium  was expressed by 60 % of those completing the trial , versus 9 % for placebo . The patients ' need for other symptomatic medications also dropped significantly during the cromolyn treatment period Abstract A double-blind cross-over sequential trial of a new antiallergic compound , disodium cromoglycate ( ' FPL670 ' , ' Intal ' ) was carried out over a period of 6 weeks in ten patients severely disabled with allergic bronchial asthma . There was a significant clinical improvement during administration of FPL670 plus isoprenaline in all patients compared with two periods in which isoprenaline alone was given . Spirometric improvement occurred in only four patients . Subsequent experience over periods up to 26 months with these and other patients has confirmed the therapeutic value and safety of FPL670 in the management of allergic bronchial asthma A year-long double-blind trial was carried out in 53 asthmatic children with severe perennial symptoms who were not receiving corticosteroids or corticotrophin .  The treatment group were given disodium cromoglycate with isoprenaline ( Intal Co. ) while the placebo group were given lactose with isoprenaline four times daily . The groups were closely matched for clinical , physiological , and immunological features . Evaluation was based on the use of a diary and clinical and physiological investigations , including exercise tests . After one year 71 % of the treatment group were still well controlled while 76 % of the placebo group had dropped out because of inadequate control of symptoms . There was no rise in the rate of failure towards the end of the trial period and there were no seasonal variations in the failure rate . No important toxic effects were noted . It was impossible to predict the outcome of the trial in any given patient from his clinical , physiological , or immunological status at the beginning . However , the prevention of exercise-induced asthma by premedication with disodium cromoglycate in a laboratory exercise test did correlate well with the satisfactory clinical response to the drug 
    Output:
    
All concluded that SCG was ineffective in paediatric asthma .
Rather than having no effect , it is demonstrated that a considerable body of evidence favours SCG compared to placebo and , far from being ineffective , the drug appears to be effective particularly in older children .