TABLE IV.

ICS key questions and recommendations

Question	Intervention	Comparator	Recommendation	Certainty Of evidence
4.1	Short-course daily ICS + as-needed SABA at start of RTI (Step 1)	As-needed SABA alone	Recommendation 9: Conditional, in favor of the intervention for ages 0–4 y	High
		Daily ICS	No recommendation*
		No therapy	No recommendation*
4.2	As-needed, concomitantly administered ICS + SABA	Daily ICS + as-needed SABA (Step 2)	Recommendation 10: Conditional, in favor of either the intervention or the comparator for ages 12 y and above	Moderate
			No recommendation* for ages 4–11 y
	Intermittent, higher-dose ICS		Recommendation 11: Conditional, against the intervention for ages 4 y and above	Low
4.3	Daily and as-needed ICS- formoterol (Steps 3 and 4)	Daily same-dose ICS + as-needed SABA	No recommendation* for ages 4 y and above
		Daily higher-dose ICS + as-needed SABA	Recommendation 12: Strong, in favor of the intervention for ages 4 y and above	Moderate for ages 4–11 y
				High for ages 12 y and above
		Daily same-dose ICS-LABA + as-needed SABA	Recommendation 12: Strong, in favor of the intervention for ages 4 y and above	Moderate for ages 4–11 y
		Daily higher-dose ICS-LABA + as-needed SABA	No recommendation* for ages 4–11 y	High for ages 12 y and above
			Recommendation 13: Conditional, in favor of the intervention for ages 12 y and above	High for ages 12 y and above

RTI, Respiratory tract infection.

^*Insufficient evidence.