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Review
. 2011 Oct;57(10):1134-6.

Single-dose dexamethasone for mild-to-moderate asthma exacerbations: effective, easy, and acceptable

Keith P Cross  1 , Ronald I Paul, Ran D Goldman
Affiliations
Review

Single-dose dexamethasone for mild-to-moderate asthma exacerbations: effective, easy, and acceptable

Keith P Cross et al. Can Fam Physician. 2011 Oct.

Abstract
in English, French

Question: I prescribe oral steroids for children in my community when they suffer asthma exacerbation. How many doses of steroids are recommended? Do all children need to take steroids for 5 days?

Answer: Traditionally, mild-to-moderate pediatric asthma exacerbations have been treated with a short course of oral steroids-often 5 days of prednisone or prednisolone. However, recent evidence suggests a similar outcome can be acheived with a single dose of dexamethasone, which has a longer half-life and powerful anti-inflammatory effects, along with easier administration and compliance. Single-dose dexamethasone offers a simple and reliable treatment for these patients in office, urgent care, and emergency department settings.

Question Je prescris des stéroïdes par voie orale aux enfants dans ma communauté quand ils souffrent d’une exacerbation de l’asthme. Combien de doses de stéroïdes recommande-t-on? Tous les enfants doivent-ils prendre des stéroïdes pendant 5 jours?

Réponse Habituellement, on traitait les exacerbations de l’asthme avec un court régime de stéroïdes par voie orale - souvent de la prednisone ou de la prednisolone pendant 5 jours. Par ailleurs, de récentes données probantes font valoir l’obtention d’un résultat semblable avec une seule dose de dexaméthasone, qui a une demi-vie plus longue et des effets anti-inflammatoires puissants. Elle est aussi plus facile à administrer, et la conformité au traitement est meilleure. La dexaméthasone en dose unique offre un traitement simple et fiable pour ces patients, que ce soit en cabinet, pour des soins urgents ou à l’urgence.

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