A TREATMENT PROTOCOL OF THE ACUTE ASTHMA PATIENT IN A PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

A treatment protocol for pediatric patients with acute asthma from 8 months to 15 years of age was utilized in an urban pediatric emergency department. In a three month period, 682 children were evaluated with acute asthma with 566 (83.0%) initially discharged and 116 (17.0%) admitted. There were no deaths. Treatment included aerosol inhalation in 682 patients (100%) and both intravenous steroids and aminophylline in 247 (36.2%) patients. Medical care was rendered by housestaff physicians supervised by full-time attending physicians. Of the 566 patients discharged, 131 (21.1%) patients had received intravenous aminophylline and steroids. Of those discharged 14 (2.5%) were admitted during the subsequent 48 hours for status asthmaticus. Of the 247 patients who received intravenous medications, chest radiographs consistent with pneumonia were noted in 15 (6.2%). The routine use of this protocol has been effective in the short term emergency department management of pediatric patients with acute asthma and had been accepted by the housestaff and attending physicians.