H M Corneli

Dr H M Corneli, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; corneli@med.utah.edu

STUDY DESIGN

Design:

randomised placebo controlled trial (RCT).

Allocation:

concealed.

Blinding:

blinded (study and emergency department [ED] staff, and guardians of infants).

STUDY QUESTION

Setting:

20 EDs in the USA.

Patients:

600 infants, 2–12 months of age (mean age 5.1 mo, 62% boys for 598 infants), who presented to the ED with a first episode of bronchiolitis (wheezing with no prior wheezing, asthma, or bronchodilator use before current illness) that was moderate to severe (⩾6 on the Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument [RDAI]) and attended ⩽7 days after symptom onset. Exclusion criteria included past adverse reaction to dexamethasone, corticosteroid use within 14 days, premature birth, critical illness, known heart or lung disease, immunosuppression or immunodeficiency, and active or …