Love it or Lev it: Levalbuterol for Severe Acute Asthma—for Now, Leave It

Despite increased awareness of asthma by both the lay and medical communities over the previous decade and the publication of national treatment guidelines, acute asthma exacerbations continue to be a major reason for visits to pediatric emergency rooms (ER) in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 700 000 children with asthma make an ER visit for treatment and 200 000 are admitted to the hospital for further treatment each year.⁵ In addition, the annual direct expenditures for asthma in the United States are more than $37 billion. Asthma represents a considerable economic burden and utilizes a major portion of the healthcare resources each year,⁶ as well as being a significant cause of morbidity. Although prevention of acute exacerbations is the most important method of treating asthma, finding an effective and safe treatment schema to avoid or minimize the cost of hospitalization is clearly necessary.

ER, Emergency room, MDI, Metered-dose inhaler, SABA, Short-acting β-adrenergic agonists, SVN, Small-volume nebulizer