Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks# (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No of Participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | Comments |
| Assumed risk: nebuliser | Corresponding risk: multiple treatment of β2-agonist via spacer (chamber) | | | | |
Hospital admission | 110 per 1000 | 78 per 1000 (52 to 119) | RR 0.71 (0.47 to 1.08) | 757 (9 studies) | ++ Low¶,§ | Large increases in the proportion of children admitted to hospital on spacer in comparison to nebuliser are ruled out by this 95% confidence interval. |
Duration in emergency department min | The mean duration in emergency department (minutes) in the control groups was 103 minutes | The mean duration in emergency department (minutes) in the intervention groups was 33 minutes shorter (43 minutes shorter to 24 minutes shorter) | | 396 (3 studies) | +++ Moderate¶ | There was a consistent direction of shortening of time in the emergency department in all three studies and, although the size of this effect varied between studies (I2 = 66%), we felt that the mean difference was important in all studies. |
Final rise in FEV1 % pred | Control groups: 27% predicted at baseline | Intervention groups: 0.92% higher (4.96% lower to 6.79% higher) | | 48 (2 studies) | ++ Low¶,§ | |
Mean rise in pulse rate % baseline | Control groups: 7% rise from baseline | Intervention groups: 5.62% lower (7.52% to 3.72% lower) | | 670 (9 studies) | +++ Moderate¶ | |
Number of participants developing tremor | 142 per 1000 | 91 per 1000 (62 to 135) | RR 0.64 (0.44 to 0.95) | 254 (4 studies) | +++ Moderate¶ | |