Ninety-seven acutely ill patients with bronchial asthma were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of intravenous methylprednisolone (125 mg), given on presentation in the emergency room in addition to standard emergency treatments for asthma. Subjective and spirometric indexes of the severity of the asthma were similar on entry into the study in all patients, but only 9 of 48 patients (19 percent) treated with methylprednisolone required hospital admission, as compared with 23 of 49 patients (47 percent) in the control group (P less than 0.003). Our results suggest that prompt use of glucocorticoids in the emergency treatment of severe asthma can prevent significant morbidity, reduce the number of hospitalizations, and effect substantial savings in health care costs.
This article has been cited by other articles:
McFadden, E. R. Jr.
(2003). Acute Severe Asthma. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
168: 740-759
[Abstract][Full Text]
Nakanishi, A. K., Klasner, A. K., Rubin, B. K.
(2003). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Inhaled Flunisolide in the Management of Acute Asthma in Children. Chest
124: 790-794
[Abstract][Full Text]
Innes, N J, Stocking, J A, Daynes, T J, Harrison, B D W
(2002). Randomised pragmatic comparison of UK and US treatment of acute asthma presenting to hospital. Thorax
57: 1040-1044
[Abstract][Full Text]
Volovitz, B., Nussinovitch, M., Finkelstein, Y., Harel, L., Varsano, I.
(2001). Effectiveness of Inhaled Corticosteroids in Controlling Acute Asthma Exacerbations in Children at Home. CLIN PEDIATR
40: 79-86
[Abstract]
Ciarallo, L., Brousseau, D., Reinert, S.
(2000). Higher-Dose Intravenous Magnesium Therapy for Children With Moderate to Severe Acute Asthma. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med
154: 979-983
[Abstract][Full Text]
Schuh, S., Reisman, J., Alshehri, M., Dupuis, A., Corey, M., Arseneault, R., Alothman, G., Tennis, O., Canny, G.
(2000). A Comparison of Inhaled Fluticasone and Oral Prednisone for Children with Severe Acute Asthma. NEJM
343: 689-694
[Abstract][Full Text]
Hood, P. P, Cotter, T. P, Costello, J. F, Sampson, A. P
(1999). Effect of intravenous corticosteroid on ex vivo leukotriene generation by blood leucocytes of normal and asthmatic patients. Thorax
54: 1075-1082
[Abstract][Full Text]
Rodrigo, G., Rodrigo, C.
(1999). Corticosteroids in the Emergency Department Therapy of Acute Adult Asthma: An Evidence-Based Evaluation. Chest
116: 285-295
[Abstract][Full Text]
Emerman, C. L., Woodruff, P. G., Cydulka, R. K., Gibbs, M. A., Pollack, C. V. Jr., Camargo, C. A. Jr.
(1999). Prospective Multicenter Study of Relapse Following Treatment for Acute Asthma Among Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department. Chest
115: 919-927
[Abstract][Full Text]
Weinberger;, M., Lieu, T., Quesenberry, C., Capra, A.
(1998). Preventing Hospital Admissions for Asthma. Pediatrics
101
: 951-952
[Full Text]
Press, S., Lipkind, R. S.
(1991). A Treatment Protocol of the Acute Asthma Patient in a Pediatric Emergency Department. CLIN PEDIATR
30: 573-577
[Abstract]
Previous
