Gleeson 1990.
Methods | setting: Children's hospital, London, England design: randomised double‐blind controlled trial, parallel design length of intervention: duration of hospital stay masking: double blind excluded: stated withdrawals: not stated baseline characteristics: similar in both treatment groups | |
Participants | 39 children median age: 5 y: M 29, F 9 hydrocortisone/prednisone arm: n=19 control arm: n=20 inclusion criteria: children age 2 ‐ 11 admitted to hospital with acute asthma who were unresponsive to two doses of nebulised salbutamol exclusion criteria: Previous regular inhaled/oral steroid use in previous year or in previous month a short course of oral steroid. Liver disease, hypothyroidism, drug interaction potential. | |
Interventions | IV Hydrocortisone 6mg/kg initially then 2mg/kg q 4h for at least 24h then po prednisone 1mg/kg bd
OR
placebo all children got standard therapy of Nebulised salbutamol 0.15mg/kg/dose made up to 4mls saline q2‐4h IV aminophylline 5mg/kg load then 1mg/kg/hr then switched to oral theophylline Ipratropium was also used if above did not work |
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Outcomes | SaO2 <95% at discharge Wheeze free on ausculation at discharge Relapse rate < 3 months |
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Notes | Jadad score 2 One patient treated twice |
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Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Allocation concealment? | Unclear risk | B ‐ Unclear |