Early Intravenous Magnesium Sulfate Administration in the Emergency Department for Severe Asthma Exacerbations.

Background: Severe asthma exacerbations in pediatric patients occur frequently and can require pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission.

Objective: To determine if early administration of intravenous magnesium sulfate (IVMg) to pediatric patients experiencing severe asthma exacerbations, defined as a respiratory clinical score (RCS) of 9 to 12, resulted in fewer PICU admissions.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients aged from 2 to 17 years presenting with a severe asthma exacerbation to a single tertiary care pediatric emergency department. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine if admission to the PICU was associated with early IVMg treatment, within 60 minutes of registration.

Results: A total of 1911 patients were included in the study, of which 1541 received IVMg. The average time to IVMg was 79 minutes, with 35% of the patients receiving it within 60 minutes of arrival. Two hundred forty-eight (13%) were admitted to the PICU, 641 (34%) were admitted to the general inpatient floor, and 1022 (53%) were discharged home. Factors associated with increased odds ratio (OR) of PICU admission were: early IVMg (OR, 1.63; 95% CI: 1.16-2.28), arrival mode to the emergency department via ambulance (OR, 2.23; 95% CI: 1.45-3.43), history of PICU admission for asthma (OR, 1.73; 95% CI: 1.22-2.44), and diagnosis of status asthmaticus (OR, 8.88; 95% CI: 3.49-30.07). Calculated OR of PICU admission subcategorized by RCS for early IVMg patients, after controlling for PICU risk factors, are as follows: RCS 9 (reference), RCS 10 (OR, 2.52; 95% CI: 0.89-2.23), RCS 11 (OR, 2.19; 95% CI: 1.3-3.70), and RCS 12 (OR, 4.12; 95% CI: 2.13-7.95).

Conclusions: Early administration of IVMg to pediatric patients experiencing severe asthma exacerbations does not result in fewer PICU admissions.