Controlled trial of intravenous corticosteroids in severe acute asthma.
BACKGROUND
The value of corticosteroids in severe acute asthma continues to be debated.


METHODS
Ninety consecutive patients admitted to the emergency room with severe acute asthma were studied in a randomised, double blind, controlled trial to determine the efficacy of corticosteroids. Eighty two patients completed the study. All received oxygen therapy and intensive bronchodilator treatment. The patients were divided into three groups for steroid treatment, receiving intravenous methylprednisolone 10 mg/kg every four hours for 48 hours (29 patients, group A); intravenous methylprednisolone 2 mg/kg every 4 hours for 48 hours (27 patients, group B); or no intravenous corticosteroids (26 patients, group C).


RESULTS
There were no differences on admission among the three groups in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), or arterial oxygen or carbon dioxide tension; and the rates of recovery in FEV1, FVC, and PEF were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Corticosteroids given with bronchodilators have not shown a beneficial effect in the first 48 hours of recovery of severe acute asthma. Only in those patients who failed to respond by the third hour of treatment, and in those who were previously taking oral corticosteroids, does a favourable, though not statistically significant, effect appear to occur.
Morell
F
F
Servei de Pneumologia, Hospital General Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
Orriols
R
R
de Gracia
J
J
Curull
V
V
Pujol
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D014797:Vital Capacity
D008775:Methylprednisolone