Which medication should be recommended for a child with asthma to address airway inflammation?

Prednisone is a corticosteroid that helps to reduce inflammation in the airways, making it an effective choice for managing airway inflammation associated with asthma. In children with asthma, controlling airway inflammation is crucial to preventing exacerbations and improving overall lung function. Corticosteroids like prednisone work by suppressing the immune response and reducing the production of inflammatory mediators, leading to decreased swelling and mucus in the airways.

The other options are bronchodilators or anticholinergic medications that primarily focus on relieving bronchospasm rather than directly addressing inflammation. For example, Xopenex (levalbuterol) and Pirbuterol are short-acting beta-agonists, which help to relax the muscles around the airways, providing quick relief from asthma symptoms but do not reduce the underlying inflammation. Atrovent, an anticholinergic agent, helps to open the airways but serves a similar function in that it does not address inflammation directly.

In summary, recommending prednisone for a child with asthma is appropriate for managing airway inflammation effectively, whereas the other medications are more about providing symptomatic relief rather than addressing the inflammatory aspect of the disease.