Effect of nebulized ipratropium on the hospitalization rates of children with asthma

Children with a severe exacerbation of asthma may benefit from a dose of ipratropium. Researchers randomly assigned 434 children who were seen at a hospital emergency department to receive ipratropium or a placebo in addition to several doses of albuterol. Among children with moderate asthma, hospitalization rates were similar in both groups. Among children with severe asthma, only 37% of children receiving ipratropium were hospitalized, compared to 53% of those receiving a placebo.