Status asthmaticus is defined as severe asthma that fails to respond to inhaled short acting β agonists (SABA), oral or intravenous steroids, and oxygen, leading to hospital admission for further management (1). In 2004, asthma exacerbations led to 3% (198,000) of all hospitalizations and 2.5 deaths per 1 million populations in the 0-17 year age group (2).
This prospective, unblinded, randomized controlled, pilot clinical trial will compare NPPV plus standard of care versus standard of care alone in children admitted for status asthmaticus. NPPV refers to the delivery of pressurized gas through an external interface such as a nasal or oronasal mask, connected to a pressure targeted ventilator. In other words, it provides ventilator support without the use of an endotracheal tube.
This study will investigate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of early initiation of non-invasive NPPV in pediatric patients admitted with status asthmaticus.
