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QUESTION: In children with croup, what is the effectiveness of glucocorticoids on croup severity, length of hospital stay, and need for additional interventions?
Data sources
Studies were identified by searching Medline (1966 to August 1997), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (1974 to August 1997), and the Cochrane Library Controlled Trials Register. Authors of trials published in the past 5 years were contacted.
Study selection
Studies were selected if they were randomised controlled trials of glucocorticoids compared with placebo or another active treatment in patients with croup and if clinically relevant outcome measures were used (clinical score, length of hospital stay, or need for additional interventions).
Data extraction
Data were extracted on patient characteristics, details about the intervention and control, and outcomes. The main outcome measure was improvement from baseline croup score. Additional outcomes were length of stay in the hospital or emergency department, rate of hospitalisation, and …
Footnotes
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Source of funding: in part, Health Research Fund from the government of Spain.
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For correspondence: Dr T P Klassen, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, 2C3.67 Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Center, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada. Fax +1 780 407 8538.
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A modified version of the abstract also appears in Evidence Based Nursing