Common quick relief rescue medications:

1. Albuterol or Levalbuterol

   1. can be puffer (MDI) or nebulizer

   2. use puffer with spacer when possible

   3. common doses are 2-4 puffs or 3mL nebulized every 4-6 hours in YELLOW Zone or 6-8 puffs every 15-30 minutes on the way to the ER in the RED Zone

   4. some brand names are ProAir®, Proventil®, Ventolin®, and Xopenex®

2. Budesonide/formoterol or mometasone/formoterol

   1. both are puffers (MDIs) and should be used with spacer when possible

   2. brand names are Symbicort®, Breyna®, and Dulera®

   3. common doses are 1 or 2 puffs every 4-6 hours

3. fluticasone or mometasone

   1. for children who don't take a preventative inhaler when well, you may also give one of these medications when having asthma symptoms

   2. both are puffers (MDIs) and should be used with spacer when possible

   3. brand names are Flovent® and Asmanex® HFA

   4. common dose is 2 puffs twice daily

Once someone's symptoms improve/resolve, you go back to the treatment recommended in the GREEN Zone of the Asthma Action Plan and stop any YELLOW/RED Zone treatments.

Asthma Action Plan are individualized to each patient so please use for reference

Sometimes we must give steroid medication by mouth (usually prednisone, prednisolone or dexamethasone) to prevent the asthma attack from worsening to avoid emergency room visits or hospitalizations. These medications are usually given once daily. Depending on the severity of the asthma attack and the severity of a patient's underlying asthma, the length of treatment with these medications may vary from 1 day to 10 days.

Oral steroid medications do NOT taste good. For older children/adolescents, I prefer to prescribe the tablet form to avoid/lessen the bad taste. This is usually going to be a prednisone tablet or tablets. For younger children who cannot take tablets, the most common medication will be liquid prednisolone. Having your child drink or eat something right after taking the medication can help eliminate the bad taste quickly. Some children will take the medication more readily mixed with chocolate syrup (which can partially mask the bad taste). Again, each child is different so you may need your own strategy.

The primary goal of asthma treatment for many children is to avoid severe asthma attacks that need oral steroids to resolve. That is why taking your prescribed medications and following your Asthma Action Plan is important.