METHODS

Design:

randomised controlled trial.

Allocation:

{concealed*}†.

Blinding:

blinded {patients, clinicians, data collectors, outcome assessors, data analysts, and manuscript writers}†.*

Follow up period:

to discharge or hospital admission.

Setting:

the paediatric ED of a university affiliated, tertiary care children’s hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

Patients:

552 enrolments of 482 children who were 1–18 years of age (mean age 7 y, 67% boys), had physician diagnosed asthma, and presented to the ED with acute asthma. {Children re-presenting were re-randomised each time.}† Exclusion criteria: first episode of wheezing; lack of current asthma treatment; pregnancy; known hypersensitivity to albuterol; cystic fibrosis; cyanotic or uncorrected congenital heart disease; chronic …