| Methods |
Randomization: not applicable
Blinding: double‐blind
Number excluded: no details
Withdrawals: none
Baseline characteristics: HR 124 iv, 117 neb; FEV 0.92 iv first, 1.10 neb first
Jadad score: "weak", score < 3 |
| Participants |
Location: London, England
Participants: 15 final (8 iv/neb, 7 neb/iv)
Asthma definition and severity: severe acute asthma (otherwise unspecified), PaO2 < 70, HR > 100, pred FEV1 < 25%, run in period of pts able to get consistent FEV1s (within 10% on 3 trials)
Exclusion criteria: previous 2hr use of any bronchodilators
Inhaled corticosteroid use: no details |
| Interventions |
Crossover of terbutaline iv vs. neb, each repeated twice once FEV was maxed
Standard care: O2 NPV, hydrocortisone 200 mg iv q6h
Treatment group: terbutaline 2.5 mg NEB over 10 min (repeat X 2 for each time FEV1 maxed) vs. terbutaline 250 ug iv over 10 min at 0 min (repeat X 2 for each time FEV1 maxed)
Placebo: saline |
| Outcomes |
PFTs: FEV pos 0.59 when iv first, pos 0.36 when iv second (these are delta FEV); pos 0.58 when neb first, pos 0.32 when neb second
Timing: not specified
Admissions:
Side effects: 3 tremor unspecified Rx sequence
Complications: |
| Notes |
Author correspondence:
FEV1 were done on 5 min intervals until no more improvement, but times not listed on graph |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Investigators unaware as to order of randomisation sequence |
