Positive Expiratory Pressure for the Treatment of Acute Asthma in Children

Exclusion Criteria

• •Do not receive complete first line therapies
• •Immediately receive a disposition (admission or discharge) as determined by the treating clinician after completion of first line therapies
• •Receive prednisone or more than two doses of inhaled bronchodilators prior to main ED evaluation (e.g. during EMS transport or primary care visit)
• •Co-morbid illnesses interfering with or contraindicated to usual asthma therapy (e.g. facial or airway abnormalities, pneumonia, chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, or pneumothorax)
• •Critically ill at presentation
• •Pregnant women (women known to be pregnant at the time of enrollment)