The use of medications including steroids are not effective when it comes to improving respiratory symptoms or preventing hospitalization among infants suffering with bronchiolitis, as per a study appearing in an issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Nathan Kuppermann, M.D., a professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics at the University of California, Davis, chair of the PECARN network’s steering committee and the senior investigator of the study, said the study findings truly demonstrate the power of a research network such as Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) in attaining solutions for otherwise difficult-to-answer questions.

From News-Medical.Net:

The study compared hospitalization rates for 600 children between the ages of 2 months and 12 months who visited emergency rooms with moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis. Patients were treated with either a dose of dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid form of steroid medication) or a placebo and evaluated after one hour, and again at four hours. The hospital admission rate for both groups was identical at nearly 40 percent. Both groups improved during treatment, but the placebo group did as well as the group treated with active medication. The study was conducted in the emergency departments at 20 hospitals across the United States between November and April during a three-year period. Bronchiolitis is most common during the winter months.

“We learned that a commonly used treatment doesn’t work,” said Howard M. Corneli, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah and the principal investigator on the study. “Now that we’ve demonstrated glucocorticoids aren’t effective in treating bronchiolitis, we can focus our efforts on finding better treatments and better preventive strategies.”

These findings by PECARN provide implications for medical practitioners in treating bronchiolitis, one of the most common causes of infant hospitalization.

Tags:  bronchiolitis, dexamethasone, steroid, steroid medications

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There is no benefit of steroid administration for young children suffering with bronchiolitis, a common viral lower respiratory infection in infants, as far as preventing hospitalization or improving respiratory symptoms are concerned.

The findings by Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) are believed to provide crucial insights for guiding doctors for treating one of the most common causes of infant hospitalization.

From News-Medical.Net:

The study compared hospitalization rates for 600 children between the ages of 2 months and 12 months who visited emergency rooms with moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis. Patients were treated with either a dose of dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid form of steroid medication) or a placebo and evaluated after one hour, and again at four hours. The hospital admission rate for both groups was identical at nearly 40 percent. Both groups improved during treatment, but the placebo group did as well as the group treated with active medication. The study was conducted in the emergency departments at 20 hospitals across the United States between November and April during a three-year period. Bronchiolitis is most common during the winter months.

“We learned that a commonly used treatment doesn’t work,” said Howard M. Corneli, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah and the principal investigator on the study. “Now that we’ve demonstrated glucocorticoids aren’t effective in treating bronchiolitis, we can focus our efforts on finding better treatments and better preventive strategies.”

Nathan Kuppermann, M.D., a professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics at the University of California, Davis, chair of the PECARN network’s steering committee, and the senior investigator of the study, suggested that the effectiveness of a research network like PECARN for resolving difficult-to-answer questions is proven by studies like this.

Tags:  bronchiolitis, dexamethasone, steroid, steroid medications

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A study conducted by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) proved that steroid medications such as dexamethasone do not help treat bronchiolitis among infants. According to the study patients who were treated with a glucocorticoid form of steroid medication, and those who were given placebo exhibited almost the same results.

The team concluded that although steroid medications treat respiratory illnesses such as asthma and croup, they are ineffective in treating bronchiolitis.

From Medical News Today:

The study compared hospitalization rates for 600 children between the ages of 2 months and 12 months who visited emergency rooms with moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis. Patients were treated with either a dose of dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid form of steroid medication) or a placebo and evaluated after one hour, and again at four hours. The hospital admission rate for both groups was identical at nearly 40 percent. Both groups improved during treatment, but the placebo group did as well as the group treated with active medication. The study was conducted in the emergency departments at 20 hospitals across the United States between November and April during a three-year period.

“We learned that a commonly used treatment doesn’t work,” said Howard M. Corneli, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah and the principal investigator on the study. “Now that we’ve demonstrated glucocorticoids aren’t effective in treating bronchiolitis, we can focus our efforts on finding better treatments and better preventive strategies.”

Bronchiolitis is a viral lower respiratory infection on infants. It is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants in the United States and accounts for more than 100,000 admissions each year. Bronchiolitis infections begin most frequently with a fever, runny nose, coughing, and wheezing. Most children recover from the illness in eight to 15 days. The majority of children hospitalized for bronchiolitis infections are under 6 months old.

Tags:  bronchiolitis, dexamethasone, glucocorticoids, steroid medications

Posted in  Steroids | No Comments/Questions