Implementation of a Critical Asthma Protocol in a Pediatric ICU.

Background: Protocol-driven therapy has been successful in managing patients with asthma on pediatric wards, but there is wide variability in ICU-level management that is often provider-dependent. This study aimed to determine if a standardized protocol for critical asthma treatment could improve clinical outcomes.

Methods: A pre-intervention cohort consisting of subjects age 2-18 y, excluding patients with airway obstruction that was not felt to be due to asthma, who were admitted to the ICU for critical asthma.