As per a study conducted as a part of the Cochrane Systematic Review by a team of researchers including Professor Brian Rowe and Carol Spooner, a short course of corticosteroids can help in minimizing the chances of an asthma attack relapse to a considerable extent.

The study also revealed that administering steroids to asthma patients after their discharge from the hospital can also help in minimizing the use of inhalers for approximately a period of three weeks.

From Bio-Medicine.Org:

As part of the study, researchers analyzed data in six trials that together involved 374 people.

The study found that between 12 percent and 16 percent of people who were discharged from hospital after having asthma attack had a relapse within two weeks.

There is considerable debate about the best way of treating people who have asthma attacks, including the dose, method of delivery and timing of delivery of corticosteroids. Our research found clear evidence that people who arrived at a hospital with acute asthma and were well enough to be discharged benefited from the addition of corticosteroid therapy, Rowe said.

Spooner remarked that the findings will offer great relief to acute asthma patients. It was also remarked that the addition of systemic corticosteroids in treatment of outpatients is expected to be an effective form of treatment going forward.

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