Lung Function Changes of Mild to Moderate Asthmatic Children Treated by Nebulized MgSO4

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory illness which results in frequent wheezing, cough,reduced quality of life. Standard treatment for asthma attack includes oxygen therapy, β2-agonists (e.g. albuterol) and inhaled anticholinergics and corticosteroids. Although inhaled short-acting β2-agonists (SAB) is the initial choice to control acute asthma exacerbation, there are still some asthmatic children unresponsive to this management. The Global Initiative in National Asthma (GINA) does not recommend intravenous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) for routine use in asthma exacerbation especially in young children. But intravenous MgSO4 can reduce hospital admission rates in certain patients due to several effects e.g relaxation of smooth muscle,blocking acetylcholine. In addition,adding MgSO4 to nebulized SAB provides greater benefit in severe asthma exacerbation.