title: Asthma and other recurrent wheezing disorders in children (acute).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute childhood asthma is a common clinical emergency presenting across a range of ages and with a range of severities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of treatments for acute asthma in children? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to June 2010 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 35 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: beta2 agonists (high-dose nebulised, metered-dose inhaler plus spacer device versus nebuliser, intravenous), corticosteroids (systemic, high-dose inhaled), ipratropium bromide (single- or multiple-dose inhaled), magnesium sulphate, oxygen, and theophylline or aminophylline.
authors.affiliation: Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Augusta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okpapi
authors.forename: Amanda Jane
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Friend
authors.forename: Stephen William
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D013806:Theophylline / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D013806:Theophylline