Oral Nutrition During Continuous Albuterol for Pediatric Critical Asthma: A Matched Cohort Study

The practice of withholding oral nutrition for children hospitalized for critical asthma receiving continuous albuterol is not evidence based. We sought to characterize oral nutrition practices in this population and estimate the frequency of aspiration-related respiratory failure.

We performed a single-center retrospective, matched cohort study of children 3-17 years of age admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit from Oct 2020 to May 2023 for critical asthma receiving continuous albuterol. Cases provided oral nutrition were matched 1:2 to controls withheld nutrition by age and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute asthma severity classification. The primary outcome was aspiration-related respiratory failure defined as any respiratory support escalation following observed aspiration. Descriptive data included demographics, anthropometrics, pediatric asthma severity scores, adjunct asthma interventions, continuous albuterol duration, mortality, and length of stay.

Of 36 cases and 72 matched controls, the mean age was 9.1±3.9 years and 66.7% had moderate-severe persistent asthma. Cases and controls had comparable anthropometrics and admission pediatric asthma severity scores. No aspiration-related respiratory failure events were observed even among those receiving nutrition concurrent to noninvasive ventilation. Compared to controls, cases experienced a longer continuous albuterol duration (median: 1.1 [interquartile range: 0.7-1.8] versus 0.7 [interquartile range: 0.3-1.3] days, p<0.001). No differences in length of stay, adjunct interventions, endotracheal intubation rates, and mortality were observed between cases and controls.

For children hospitalized for critical asthma, oral nutrition during continuous nebulized albuterol appeared well tolerated. While prospective validation is required, the practice of withholding oral nutrition for continuous albuterol administration may be unwarranted.