Position Paper on short-acting beta-2 agonists for acute wheezing episodes in children aged below 6 years. A statement proposed by the Italian Pediatric Respiratory Society (Società Italiana per le Malattie Respiratorie Infantili, SIMRI) Asthma Committee and approved by the SIMRI Advocacy Council and Executive Committee

The term ‘wheeze’ denotes a common clinical sign observed in various respiratory obstructive diseases among pediatric patients. It affects approximately one out of every three children under the age of three. In children aged below 6 years, viral respiratory tract infections commonly trigger the episode of wheeze, although some children may wheeze in response to other triggering factors. Short-acting beta-2 agonists, that proved to be a safe and wieldy drug, represent the first-line treatment for managing acute wheezing attacks in preschoolers, regardless of the severity of wheezing. Their bronchodilator action is established within 5 minutes and lasts for 4-6 hours. This statement outlines the role, the mechanisms of action and side effects of short-acting beta-2 agonists and reports the recommendations of the Italian Pediatric Respiratory Society (Società Italiana per le Malattie Respiratorie Infantili, SIMRI) in treating acute wheezing episodes in children younger than 6 years.