Oral Prednisolone May Shorten Hospital Stay in Young Children with Wheeze

Most pediatric wheezing episodes are associated with viral infections. Evidence suggests that preschool-age children hospitalized with acute virus-induced wheezing do not benefit from oral prednisolone. To further examine this hypothesis, researchers compared length of total hospital stay among 600 patients aged 24 to 72 months randomized to prednisolone (1 mg/kg) or placebo once daily for 3 days.

All children presented to a pediatric emergency department and received initial bronchodilator therapy, which was continued at the discretion of the treating physician. Most patients had a respiratory virus isolated (66% in the placebo group and 64% in the prednisolone group).

Prednisolone use was associated with a 21% reduced length of stay compare…