Important new study published by Irish EM research group

In a recently published randomised controlled trial, Dr John Cronin, Dr Ronan O’Sullivan and the UCD Research Centre compared the use of dexamethasone and prednisolone in the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma in children in the Emergency Department.

This important research concluded that in children with acute exacerbations of asthma, a single dose of oral dexamethasone (0.3 mg/kg) is noninferior to a 3-day course of oral prednisolone (1 mg/kg per day).

The results of this trial will result in a practice change that will improve the management of this common condition.

John Cronin presented this work nationally and internationally, including oral presentations at Pediatric Academic Societies in Washington D.C. and the European Academy of Paediatric Societies in Istanbul. It has also won several awards, including the Professor Edward Tempany Award at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin Annual Audit Day and best presentation at both the Irish Paediatric Society and the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine Annual Scientific Meetings. It forms part of his work towards a PhD.

The authors would like to acknowledge the UCD Clinical Research Centre, all the doctors and nurses at Our Lady’s Hospital Children’s Hospital Crumlin who assisted in the trial process, the funding and support of the National Children’s Research Centre and in particular all the patients and families who participated in the trial.

This is the first RCT to be performed in an Irish Emergency Department.

The work is published in Annals of Emergency Medicine: