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In a prospective randomized, double-blind trial at a Qatar pediatric emergency center, investigators compared oral dexamethasone to placebo for the treatment of infants and children ≤18 months of age with moderate to severe bronchiolitis and risk for asthma; risk for asthma was defined as a history of eczema or a parent or sibling with asthma. All patients received nebulized salbutamol (2.5 mg); nebulized epinephrine (0.5 ml/kg) was administered at the treating physician's discretion.
During a 2-year period, 190 patients (median age, 3.5 months) received either placebo or dexamethasone (1mg/kg on day 1, followed by 0.6 mg/kg once daily for another 4 days). Median time to discharge readiness — no supplementary oxygen requirement; feeding well…