Fluid Balance and Clinical Outcomes in Acute Asthma

Investigators from multiple institutions conducted a series of studies to assess the effects of excess fluid administration on clinical outcomes among children hospitalized for asthma exacerbations. Study participants were children >6 years of age admitted to Boston Children’s Hospital with an asthma exacerbation across a 7-year period beginning in 2010. Only patients who received IV fluids within 24 hours of presentation were enrolled. Fluid overload percent (FO%) was defined as fluid in (both IV and orally) minus fluid output divided by admission weight; the peak FO% was identified as the highest calculated value during the first 72 hours of hospitalization. The main study outcomes included hospital length of stay (LOS), duration of â-agonist therapy, and need …