E 389 - Survey of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) Services in Twenty Hospitals in the North West Region of England

Published Date: 30th June 2022

Publication Authors: Chilukuri L, Humphreys S, Lisboa L, Maddipati T

Abstract
The purpose of this audit is to assess the efficacy of single dose oral dexamethasone in preventing acute readmissions in comparison with a three-day course of oral prednisolone.

A new local guideline was introduced in 2019, that recommends the use of single dose oral dexamethasone for management of asthma in children. We carried out a prospective audit, using this guideline, to assess our compliance, accuracy of prescription and rate of readmissions. Simultaneously, we did a retrospective audit using similar parameters, to assess the efficacy of a three-day course of prednisolone. We then compared the findings of these audits to establish which steroid had the best outcome.

Both audits demonstrated that the patient cohort was similar in terms of demographics, age and clinical severity. There were fewer admissions in the prospective audit in comparison to the retrospective audit. This could well be a result of the safety measures put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All patients who were given the oral steroids were in accordance to the criteria set out in the BTS guideline. Readmission rates within 10 days were very low and therefore it was not possible to do a meaningful comparison between efficacy of prednisolone and dexamethasone.

Our conclusion was that both prednisolone and dexamethasone given orally in the management of acute asthma are equally effective in preventing readmissions.

On reflection, we felt that it may be beneficial to extend this audit to include patients who attended the emergency department rather than solely those who were admitted, and assess if they required admission.

Chilukuri, L; Humphreys, S; Lisboa, L; Maddipati, T. (2022). A 390 - Prospective Audit on the Usage of Oral Dexamethasone in Acute Asthma and Comparison with Retrospective Audit on Use of Oral Prednisolone in Asthma. Pediatric Pulmonology. 57(Suppl 2), p.S98-S99. [Online]. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppul.25963 [Accessed 16 August 2022]

 

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