Re-attendance, Secondary Outcomes, and Adverse Events, by Treatment Group
| Variable . | Dexamethasone (Standard Treatment) . | Low-Dose Dexamethasone . | P . | Prednisolone . | P . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Follow-up status | |||||
| Phone call | 286 (69.8%) | 286 (69.8%) | 1.00 | 282 (68.6%) | .78 |
| ED records | 124 (30.2%) | 124 (30.2%) | — | 129 (31.4%) | — |
| Re-attendance to medical care | |||||
| No further treatment sought | 337 | 330 | .25 | 322 | .37 |
| Attended GP | 49 | 44 | — | 58 | — |
| Re-attended ED | 24 | 36 | — | 31 | — |
| Secondary outcomes | |||||
| Nebulized epinephrine | 9 (2.2%) | 12 (3.0%) | .65 | 10 (2.5%) | .99 |
| Endotracheal intubation | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — |
| Admission to intensive care | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — |
| Additional steroid dose(s)a | 32 (11.3%) | 42 (15.1%) | .22 | 53 (18.9%) | .02 |
| Total length of stay, min | 125 | 120 | .36 | 126 | .79 |
| Length of stay >4 h | 36 (8.8%) | 29 (7.1%) | .44 | 35 (8.5%) | .99 |
| Adverse events | |||||
| Vomiting | 16 (4.0%) | 13 (3.3%) | .75 | 13 (3.3%) | .74 |
| Other | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — |
| Variable . | Dexamethasone (Standard Treatment) . | Low-Dose Dexamethasone . | P . | Prednisolone . | P . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Follow-up status | |||||
| Phone call | 286 (69.8%) | 286 (69.8%) | 1.00 | 282 (68.6%) | .78 |
| ED records | 124 (30.2%) | 124 (30.2%) | — | 129 (31.4%) | — |
| Re-attendance to medical care | |||||
| No further treatment sought | 337 | 330 | .25 | 322 | .37 |
| Attended GP | 49 | 44 | — | 58 | — |
| Re-attended ED | 24 | 36 | — | 31 | — |
| Secondary outcomes | |||||
| Nebulized epinephrine | 9 (2.2%) | 12 (3.0%) | .65 | 10 (2.5%) | .99 |
| Endotracheal intubation | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — |
| Admission to intensive care | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — |
| Additional steroid dose(s)a | 32 (11.3%) | 42 (15.1%) | .22 | 53 (18.9%) | .02 |
| Total length of stay, min | 125 | 120 | .36 | 126 | .79 |
| Length of stay >4 h | 36 (8.8%) | 29 (7.1%) | .44 | 35 (8.5%) | .99 |
| Adverse events | |||||
| Vomiting | 16 (4.0%) | 13 (3.3%) | .75 | 13 (3.3%) | .74 |
| Other | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — |
Data are presented as count (%), median, or count, as appropriate. P values were calculated by using the χ2 test or, for total length of stay, by using a Kruskal-Wallis test. —, not applicable.
The denominator was reduced because of missing data.