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Asthma and other recurrent wheezing disorders in children (acute)
Augusta Okpapi1, Amanda Jane Friend, Stephen William Turner
1Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, Aberdeen, UK.
Insights
This systematic review evaluates treatments for acute childhood asthma, examining interventions like beta2 agonists and corticosteroids. Evidence quality was assessed using the GRADE system to determine effectiveness and safety in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Clinical Emergency Medicine
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Acute childhood asthma is a frequent pediatric emergency.
- Presentations vary widely in age and severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effects of various treatments for acute asthma in children.
- To assess the effectiveness and safety of key interventions.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a systematic literature review up to June 2010.
- Searched major databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library).
- Included harms alerts from regulatory agencies (FDA, MHRA).
Main Results:
- Included 35 systematic reviews, RCTs, and observational studies.
- Evaluated the quality of evidence using the GRADE system.
- Assessed interventions including beta2 agonists, corticosteroids, ipratropium bromide, magnesium sulfate, oxygen, and theophylline/aminophylline.
Conclusions:
- Presents information on the effectiveness and safety of evaluated asthma treatments.
- Highlights the GRADE assessment of evidence quality for pediatric asthma interventions.
Introduction:
Acute childhood asthma is a common clinical emergency presenting across a range of ages and with a range of severities.
Methods And Outcomes:
We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of treatments for acute asthma in children? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to June 2010 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Results:
We found 35 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
Conclusions:
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: beta2 agonists (high-dose nebulised, metered-dose inhaler plus spacer device versus nebuliser, intravenous), corticosteroids (systemic, high-dose inhaled), ipratropium bromide (single- or multiple-dose inhaled), magnesium sulphate, oxygen, and theophylline or aminophylline.
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Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications
Classification of Asthma
Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management
Clinical Assessment for Asthma:
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