Oscillometry effective treatment option for acute asthma in children, finds study

USA: Results from a small feasibility study show oscillometry to be safe and responsive in children presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute asthma exacerbations. The results are published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Emergency department treatment is variable, leading to prolonged ED length of stay, inefficient use of asthma therapies, and unnecessary hospitalizations. 

Nidhya Navanandan, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, and associates collected vital signs, Pulmonary Asthma Score, and respiratory impedance by oscillometry in children aged 4 to 18 years who were presented to an urban tertiary care children's hospital emergency department for an acute asthma exacerbation. 

Oscillometry was performed 3 times: prior to receiving treatment, after completion of initial therapies, and 2 hours post initial therapy. 20 children were included in the study; the average age was 9.3 years, 50% were boys, and 30% were identified as African American. 

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Key findings of the study include:

"Oscillometry may be a valuable bedside measure of lung function to direct [emergency department] treatment and disposition decisions and reduce the clinical morbidity associated with asthma," concluded the authors. 

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The study, "Oscillometry for acute asthma in the pediatric emergency department: A feasibility study," is published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2020.07.002