Efficacy of pulmicort suspension plus salbutamol and ipratropium bromide for management of acute asthma exacerbation in children: a comparative study

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of 3 commonly used protocols for management of acute exacerbation of asthma in children. Methods Totally 113 asthmatic children were randomized into 3 groups. In group A (53 cases), the children were treated with inhalation of nebulized budesonide suspension plus salbutamol and ipratropium bromide twice daily for 5 days; in group B (41 cases), budesonide plus salbutamol and ipratropium aerosol was administered, and in group C (29 cases), dexathmisone plus aminophylline injection was given once daily for 5 days. All the children received basic treatment with fluid infusion, antibiotics or/and anti-virus medications. Results The children in both groups A and C showed effectively controlled asthma attack, with significant differences in the therapeutic effects (P0.05). In contrast, only a few children showed improvement in group B, suggesting the ineffectiveness of the treatment. Conclusion Nebulized medicine is one of the best means for management of acute asthma exacerbation in children, and inhalation of budesonide suspension plus salbutamol and ipratropium bromide can effectively relieve the asthmatic symptoms in these children with good compliance and convenient administration.