Budesonide offers no advantage when added to oral dexamethasone in the treatment of croup.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of adding inhaled budesonide (2 mg) to oral dexamethasone 0.15 mg/kg in children hospitalized with croup.

SETTING

Observation ward of a Tertiary Paediatric Hospital Emergency Department.

SUBJECTS

Seventy-two children (age range 3 to 126 months) hospitalized with croup.

INTERVENTION

Children randomized to receive either 2 mg of nebulized budesonide or placebo, with all children receiving a single oral dose of 0.15 mg/kg dexamethasone.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary outcome was duration of hospital stay. Other measures included croup scores from 0 to 12 hours, use of nebulized epinephrine, duration of croup symptoms, duration of viral symptoms, and return to medical care for croup or for any other reason following discharge from hospital.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics for the 2 groups were similar. There was no difference in time to discharge for the 2 groups or for other outcome measures with a risk ratio of 1.3 (95% confidence intervals of 0.82 and 2.1).

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of inhaled budesonide (2 mg) to oral dexamethasone (0.15 mg/kg) offers no advantage in the treatment of children hospitalized with croup.