Table 1.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the study

Inclusion criteria (all of)
1. Patient age between 1 and 17 years. 2. Pre-existing diagnosis of asthma or reactive airways disease. Patients must have been previously prescribed inhaled bronchodilator therapy for one previous episode of wheeze, cough, or shortness-of-breath. 3. Presenting complaint of wheeze, cough, shortness-of-breath, or difficulty breathing requiring bronchodilator therapy in the ED.
Exclusion criteria (any one of)
1. Patients receiving oral steroids chronically for asthma or any other illness, or for more than 48 hours prior to their ED visit for an acute exacerbation. 2. Patients presenting for medication refills or other non-urgent reasons related to asthma, and not requiring ED treatment.