The efficacy and safety of home nebulizer therapy for children with asthma
D. A. Zimo, M. Gaspar and J. Akhter
La Rabida Children's Hospital and Research Center, Chicago, IL 60649.
We evaluated the efficacy and safety of nebulized beta-agonists used in the
homes of 22 children with asthma. Patients served as their own controls for
the comparison of asthma-related variables between periods of 12 months
before and 12 months after the initiation of home nebulizer therapy.
Significant reductions in the numbers of emergency department visits,
hospital admissions, and short courses of prednisone therapy occurred when
home nebulizer therapy was provided. The younger the patients, the more
frequently improvement occurred. After the initiation of home nebulizer
therapy there was no change in the severity of illness when patients
presented to the emergency department or in the number of episodes of
respiratory failure. Home nebulizer therapy for children with asthma
appears safe and reduces the need for hospital care and short courses of
prednisone therapy.
