Pediatric acute asthma exacerbations: Evaluation and management from emergency department to intensive care unit.

Objective: The goal of this report is to review available modalities for assessing and managing acute asthma exacerbations in pediatric patients, including some that are not included in current expert panel guidelines. While it is not our purpose to provide a comprehensive review of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines, we review NAEPP-recommended treatments to provide the full range of treatments available for managing exacerbations with an emphasis on the continuum of care between the ER and ICU.

Data Sources: We searched PubMed using the following search terms in different combinations: asthma, children, pediatric, exacerbation, epidemiology, pathophysiology, guidelines, treatment, management, oxygen, albuterol, β2-agonist, anticholinergic, theophylline, corticosteroid, magnesium, heliox, BiPAP, ventilation, mechanical ventilation, non-invasive mechanical ventilation and respiratory failure.

Feasibility and Safety of Substituting Lung Ultrasonography for Chest Radiography When Diagnosing Pneumonia in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Chest radiography (CXR) is the test of choice for diagnosing pneumonia. Lung ultrasonography (LUS) has been shown to be accurate for diagnosing pneumonia in children and may be an alternative to CXR. Our objective was to determine the feasibility and safety of substituting LUS for CXR when evaluating children suspected of having pneumonia.

Management of acute asthma in the pediatric patient: an evidence-based review.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood, with asthma exacerbations and wheezing resulting in more than 2 million emergency department visits per year. Symptoms can vary from mild shortness of breath to fatal status asthmaticus. Given the high prevalence of asthma and its potential to progress from mild to moderate to life-threatening, it is vital for emergency clinicians to have a thorough understanding of acute asthma management.