To determine if intravenous MgSO4, when used as an adjunct to standard therapy, improves the outcome in acute asthma.
A double blind, randomised placebo controlled trial comparing 1.2 g MgSO4 with standard therapy in adult patients with acute asthma. Patients had a PEF 75 % predicted and all were treated with oxygen, nebulised salbutamol and ipratropium, and IV hydrocortisone. They then received 1.2 g IV MgSO4 or placebo. Outcome measures were % predicted PEF at 60 min and hospital admission rates.
One hundred and twenty nine patients were studied. Placebo and active treatment groups were well matched at baseline. MgSO4 had no benefit with regards hospital admission rates or % predicted PEF at 60 min (p=0.48) for the whole group, or for subgroups of life-threatening (p=0.85), severe (p=0.63) and moderate (p=0.67) acute asthma.
This study did not show additional benefit from 1.2 g IV MgSO4 when given as an adjunct to standard therapy for acute asthma.