Most children with asthma presenting to an emergency department (ED) are managed with inhaled medications and oral steroids. Infrequently, some children are very unwell, and require assistance with their breathing, or intravenous medication.

Currently, there is minimal information to guide clinicians on which treatment to choose for severe acute asthma. All have side-effects, and we do not know which is most effective. Studies from the UK and Australasia demonstrate significant variation in practice, although Australasian data is nearly 10 years out of date.

When comparing treatments, it is important to determine whether or not they can reduce the risk of severe complications, or whether they make a difference in important treatment outcomes.

This project will allow us to:

• Determine current management practices for children with severe acute asthma and/or wheeze across Australia and New Zealand.
• Determine how common severe acute asthma is and also how frequently complications of severe asthma occur across Australia and New Zealand.
• Determine where differences in therapy exist between states / regions across Australia and New Zealand.

Once complete, this project will provide important data to allow us to design future research to establish the best treatments for severe asthma.