The management of acute severe asthma in a pediatric intensive care unit

The hospitalization and mortality rates incurred from acute childhood asthma continue to rise in the past decade. The purpose of this study is to examine the outcome, morbidity and the management of children admitted with acute asthma to our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and compare it with those described in the literature.

Medical records of all children admitted with acute severe asthma to PICU at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over an 8-year period (1994-2001) were reviewed.

Fifty-six patients were analyzed. The male to female ratio was 1.3:1 and the mean age was 3.6 +/- 2.8 years. The mean duration of symptoms prior to admission was 2 +/- 1.5 days with 39.3% <24 hours. A positive family history of allergy was present in two third of patients. The average stay in PICU was 2 +/- 0.9 days. Seventy-three percent of patients received prophylaxis bronchodilator therapy before hospital admission including inhaled steroid in 62%. All the patients received nebulized salbutamol and intravenous corticosteroid. Two third of our patients received nebulized ipratropium bromide and 62% intravenous aminophylline. From arterial blood gases analysis, 46.4% had hypercapnia (PaCO2 >45 mmHg). None of our patients required mechanical ventilation. Only 2 patients developed pneumomediastinum with pneumothorax that has resolved spontaneously without intervention. There were no deaths among our 56 patients admitted to PICU.

We conclude that the mortality and morbidity in children with severe asthma, who require PICU admissions are minimal, provided optimal early use of bronchodilators and intravenous steroids. Using this approach, it could also be possible to avoid mechanical ventilation and shorten the duration of hospital admission.