Preventive Asthma Management in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Background: Poorly controlled asthma leads to emergency department (ED) utilization and significant morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients with asthma. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) reduce asthma exacerbations, ED visits, and oral steroid courses for patients with poorly controlled persistent asthma. Current literature and national guidelines support the initiation of ICS for eligible patients in the ED. Approximately 21% of patients seen in our pediatric ED for asthma are eligible for ICS initiation, and 8% of that population are started on an ICS in the ED. Objective: To increase the proportion of eligible patients with …