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Use of dexamethasone and prednisone in acute asthma exacerbations in pediatric patients

Allan E Shefrin1, Ran D Goldman

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, USA.

Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien
|July 16, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Systemic corticosteroids, like prednisone or dexamethasone, are recommended for treating pediatric asthma exacerbations in emergency departments. These short-term steroid courses effectively reduce hospitalizations and repeat visits with few side effects.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Pulmonology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Asthma exacerbations are common in children presenting to emergency departments.
  • The use of systemic corticosteroids is a key treatment modality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if systemic corticosteroids should be prescribed for pediatric asthma exacerbations.
  • To compare the efficacy and safety of different systemic corticosteroids.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current treatment guidelines and clinical evidence.
  • Comparison of prednisone and dexamethasone in terms of dosage, duration, and outcomes.

Main Results:

  • A short course of systemic steroids is indicated for asthma exacerbations.
  • Both prednisone and dexamethasone are effective in reducing hospital admissions and unscheduled return to care.
  • Both agents demonstrated minimal side effects.

Conclusions:

  • Systemic corticosteroids are a valuable treatment option for pediatric asthma exacerbations.
  • Prednisone and dexamethasone offer comparable efficacy and safety profiles for short-term use.
Abstract

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