. 2008 Jan 24;371(9609):329–339. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60170-1

Table 3.

Selected randomised controlled trials of corticosteroid treatment of croup by route of administration

	Patients (n)	Croup severity	Setting	Route of administration	Primary outcome	Results
Nebulised vs oral or intramuscular administration
Geelhoed (1995)⁹⁰	80	Moderate to severe	Admitted children	Nebulised budesonide	Duration of admission	No difference between budesonide (13 h) and dexamethasone (13 h vs 12 h)
Geelhoed (1995)⁹⁰	80	Moderate to severe	Admitted children	Oral dexamethasone	Duration of admission
Johnson (1998)⁴⁷	144	Moderate to severe	Emergency department	Nebulised budesonide	Rate of admission	No difference between dexamethasone and budesonide (17% vs 35%; p=0·18)
Johnson (1998)⁴⁷	144	Moderate to severe	Emergency department	Intramuscular dexamethasone	Rate of admission
Klassen (1998)⁹²	198	Moderate	Emergency department	Oral dexamethasone vs nebulised budesonide vs oral dexamethasone vs nebulised budesonide	Clinical croup score at 4 h	No difference between groups (p=0·70)
Oral vs intramuscular administration
Rittichier (2000)⁹³	277	Moderate	Emergency department	Intramuscular vs oral dexamethasone	Return to medical care	No difference between groups (intramuscular 32%, oral 25%, p=0·198)
Donaldson (2003)⁹⁴	96	Moderate to severe	Emergency department	Intramuscular vs oral dexamethasone	Croup symptom resolution at 24 h	No difference between groups (intramuscular 2%, oral 8%)
Amir (2006)⁹⁵	52	Mild to moderate	Emergency department	Intramuscular dexamethasone vs oral betamethasone (note: investigator aware of study treatment)	Clinical croup score at 4 h	No difference between groups (p=0·18)