Montelukast is NOT used for rescue therapy; it is used for prophylaxis and maintenance. Which option expresses this correctly?

Montelukast is NOT used for rescue therapy; it is used for prophylaxis and maintenance. Which option expresses this correctly?

• A. It is used for rescue therapy
• B. It is used for prophylaxis and maintenance and not for rescue
• C. It is a short-acting bronchodilator
• D. It should be taken only once a day at bedtime

Answer: (B)

Montelukast blocks leukotriene receptors to reduce airway inflammation and prevent bronchoconstriction, so its role is in prophylaxis and maintenance of asthma (and allergic rhinitis), not in acute rescue. It doesn’t provide the rapid bronchodilation needed during an attack, which is why it isn’t rescue therapy. This makes the statement that it is used for prophylaxis and maintenance and not for rescue the best way to express its use. It’s not a short-acting bronchodilator, and while it’s commonly dosed once daily (often in the evening), describing it as “taken only once a day at bedtime” is an overly rigid detail and not the core point.

Montelukast blocks leukotriene receptors to reduce airway inflammation and prevent bronchoconstriction, so its role is in prophylaxis and maintenance of asthma (and allergic rhinitis), not in acute rescue. It doesn’t provide the rapid bronchodilation needed during an attack, which is why it isn’t rescue therapy. This makes the statement that it is used for prophylaxis and maintenance and not for rescue the best way to express its use. It’s not a short-acting bronchodilator, and while it’s commonly dosed once daily (often in the evening), describing it as “taken only once a day at bedtime” is an overly rigid detail and not the core point.