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Previous studies have demonstrated that in the emergency treatment of an asthma exacerbation, corticosteroids used in conjunction with β-agonists result in lower hospitalization rates for children and adults. Furthermore, orally administered corticosteroids have been found to be effective in the treatment of outpatients with asthma. However, similar data in inpatients is lacking.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of oral prednisone versus intravenous methylprednisolone in equivalent doses for the treatment of an acute asthma exacerbation in hospitalized children.

We conducted a randomized, double-blind, double-placebo study comparing oral prednisone at 2 mg/kg/dose (maximum 120 mg/dose) twice daily versus intravenous methylprednisolone at 1 mg/kg/dose (maximum 60 mg/dose) four times daily in a group of patients 2 through 18 years of age hospitalized …