A topic in Clinical Evidence summarizes the evidence on oxygen for acute asthma. There are no systematic reviews or RCTs. One double blind, prospective cohort study (280 children) found that decreased oxygen saturation upon entry was correlated with increased treatment with intravenous aminophylline and corticosteroids and increased rates of hospital admission or subsequent readmission.
Comment: The study does not directly address whether oxygen should be given therapeutically. However, clinical experience suggests that oxygen should be given promptly to children with acute asthma.
Clinical evidence category: Beneficial.