The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, Canada have released research findings pointing to the possibility of reducing wheezing and hospitalization through a combination of epinephrine and dexamethasone. Even if these meds sound complicated, they are actually commonly used.

“Until this point, we’ve had no good treatment options for bronchiolitis, except for supplemental oxygen and extra fluids. In this study, we looked at two medications that have been used to treat bronchiolitis without great benefit when used separately. But, combining the two resulted in a reduction of hospitalizations,” says study author Dr. Amy Plint, a pediatric emergency physician at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, Canada.

Wheezing, known as bronchiolitis in medical circles, is a common sickness for children which is triggered by a virus. 800 infants were used for the study. Between ages six weeks to twelve months, these babies were given controlled treatments of nebulized epinephrine and six oral doses of corticosteroid dexamethasone. Wheezing stopped quicker in subjects with the combination treatment.

The editorial authors wrote that, “Given the small effect size of the study — 11 infants would have to be treated to prevent one hospital admission — it does not seem practical to apply the treatment, especially considering the potential effects of high-dose corticosteroids on brain and lung development in such young children.”

However, Plint said the treatment was well-tolerated, and there’s no evidence in this age group that there are any neurodevelopmental effects from a short course of steroids. So fears about child safety should be doused a bit.

Tweet This Post