title: Acute asthma: treatment and outcome of 2000 consecutive pediatric emergency room visits in Doha, Qatar.
abstract: The case files of 2000 asthma episodes seen in our pediatric emergency room (PER) over a 2-month period were reviewed. Patients included 1429 males and 571 females with 66.2% < 48 months old. More than 60% of patients had been symptomatic for <24 hr and 88.5% had tried inhaled beta2-agonist before coming to the PER. In the PER, 57% responded to a single salbutamol aerosol and 35.5% responded to a combination of 2-3 salbutamol, IV hydrocortisone, and aminophylline drip < or = 6 hr. Only 7.5% were admitted to the hospital. Of the admitted patients, 82% had been symptomatic for > 24 hr and 60.6% were <4 years old.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Dawod
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ehlayel
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Osundwa
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011780:Qatar