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Evidence-Based Medicine 2009;14:77; doi:10.1136/ebm.14.3.77
Copyright © 2009 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

THERAPEUTICS

Oral prednisolone did not improve outcomes in preschool children with an attack of wheezing

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.


STUDY DESIGN

Design:

randomised placebo-controlled trial. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN58363576 [controlled-trials.com] .

Allocation:

concealed.*

Blinding:

blinded (patients, parents, healthcare providers, and outcome assessors).*


STUDY QUESTION

Setting:

3 hospitals in the UK.

Patients:

700 children 10–60 months of age (mean age 26 mo, 64% boys) who presented to hospital with an attack of wheezing associated with a clinically diagnosed upper respiratory viral infection. Exclusion criteria included shock, bacterial sepsis, heart or lung disease, immunodeficiency or immunosuppressive therapy, and varicella infection or recent exposure.

Intervention:

oral prednisolone (10 mg/d if <=24 mo of age or 20 mg/d if >24 mo) once daily for 5 days (n = 343) or placebo (n = 344).{dagger} All patients received inhaled salbutamol as required and other treatment at the discretion of the attending physician.

Outcomes:

time to discharge, puffs of salbutamol in hospital, symptom severity at 4 hours, time to return to normal activities, and hospital readmission for wheezing within 1 month.

Follow-up period:

1 month.

Patient follow-up:

98% (intention-to-treat analysis).


MAIN RESULTS

Prednisolone . . . [Full text of this article]

Inge Axelsson

Östersund Hospital and Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden, Lovisenberg Deaconal University College, Oslo, Norway


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