A Comparison of Efficacy and Adverse Effects of Cetirizine and Desloratadine in 6-12-Year-Old Children with Allergic Rhinitis

Background: Antihistamines are the most common drugs used for treating allergic rhinitis. They, significantly, reduce nasal symptoms by blocking the action of a chemical cytokine called histamine. This study aimed to compare cetirizine and desloratadine's efficacy and adverse effects in children with allergic rhinitis.Method: This randomized single-blinded clinical trial was conducted on 400 children with allergic rhinitis, aged 6-12 between February and September 2022. The patients were randomized to receive cetirizine or desloratadine for four weeks. We recorded the symptoms and adverse effects at the baseline and four weeks after starting the intervention.Results: A total of 248 patients completed the study: 109 patients (47 female, 62 male) in the cetirizine group and 139 patients (53 female, 86 male) in the desloratadine group. The scores related to symptoms of allergic rhinitis before starting the drugs and after 4-week therapy were not significantly different between the two treatment groups (p= 0.1, p= 0.7, respectively). Cetirizine had more side effects than desloratadine in the treated patients (p = 0.02).Conclusion: This study showed that cetirizine and desloratadine improved symptoms of children with allergic rhinitis; however, there was no significant difference in the efficacy of these two drugs. Desloratadine caused fewer side effects in patients after 4 weeks of treatment.