F Qureshi1, A Zaritsky, M P Poirier. 1. Department of Pediatrics and the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of The Kings Daughters and Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether 2 days of oral dexamethasone (DEX) is more effective than 5 days of oral prednisone/prednisolone (PRED) in improving symptoms and preventing relapse in children with acute asthma. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective randomized trial of children (2 to 18 years old) who presented to the emergency department with acute asthma. PRED 2 mg/kg, maximum 60 mg (odd days) or DEX 0.6 mg/kg, maximum 16 mg (even days) was used. At discharge children in the PRED group were prescribed 4 daily doses (1 mg/kg/d, maximum 60 mg); children in the DEX group received a prepackaged dose (0.6 mg/kg, maximum 16 mg) to take the next day. The primary outcome was relapse within 10 days. RESULTS: When DEX was compared with PRED, relapse rates (7.4% of 272 vs 6.9% of 261), hospitalization rates from the emergency department (11% vs 12%) or after relapse (20% vs 17%), and symptom persistence at 10 days (22% vs 21%) were similar. In the PRED group more children were excluded for vomiting in the emergency department (3% vs 0.3%; P =.008), more parents were noncompliant (4% vs. 0.4%; P =.004), and more children missed > or =2 days of school (19.5% vs. 13.2%; P =.05). CONCLUSION: In children with acute asthma, 2 doses of dexamethasone provide similar efficacy with improved compliance and fewer side effects than 5 doses of prednisone.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether 2 days of oral dexamethasone (DEX) is more effective than 5 days of oral prednisone/prednisolone (PRED) in improving symptoms and preventing relapse in children with acute asthma. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective randomized trial of children (2 to 18 years old) who presented to the emergency department with acute asthma. PRED 2 mg/kg, maximum 60 mg (odd days) or DEX 0.6 mg/kg, maximum 16 mg (even days) was used. At discharge children in the PRED group were prescribed 4 daily doses (1 mg/kg/d, maximum 60 mg); children in the DEX group received a prepackaged dose (0.6 mg/kg, maximum 16 mg) to take the next day. The primary outcome was relapse within 10 days. RESULTS: When DEX was compared with PRED, relapse rates (7.4% of 272 vs 6.9% of 261), hospitalization rates from the emergency department (11% vs 12%) or after relapse (20% vs 17%), and symptom persistence at 10 days (22% vs 21%) were similar. In the PRED group more children were excluded for vomiting in the emergency department (3% vs 0.3%; P =.008), more parents were noncompliant (4% vs. 0.4%; P =.004), and more children missed > or =2 days of school (19.5% vs. 13.2%; P =.05). CONCLUSION: In children with acute asthma, 2 doses of dexamethasone provide similar efficacy with improved compliance and fewer side effects than 5 doses of prednisone.
Authors: Anne Fuhlbrigge; David Peden; Andrea J Apter; Homer A Boushey; Carlos A Camargo; James Gern; Peter W Heymann; Fernando D Martinez; David Mauger; William G Teague; Carol Blaisdell Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2012-03 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Jillian M Cotter; Amy Tyler; Jennifer Reese; Sonja Ziniel; Monica J Federico; William C Anderson Iii; Oren Kupfer; Stanley J Szefler; Gwendolyn Kerby; Heather E Hoch Journal: J Asthma Date: 2019-06-12 Impact factor: 2.515