SYNOPSIS:Acute Severe Asthma (ASA) is a common problem in Emergency Departments around the world. The evidence base for the treatment of the more severe exacerbation is poor. International guidelines vary on their recommendations for which intravenous bronchodilators to use and how they should be used. This presentation will describe the development of two large networks in the UK to address these issues. A Children’s Acute Asthma Research Program is currently being established. Data will be presented from one small animal study examining the bronchodilator properties of Magnesium Sulphate and two large multicentre international studies; MAGNETIC (A RCT of Nebulised Magnesium with data from 508 children with ASA) and FESTIVA (A study of current ASA management in the UK with data from over 3000 children presenting with acute wheezing). Finally the plans for the EVITA (EValuation of Intravenous Therapy in Asthma) studies will be presented.

SPEAKER:Dr Colin V E Powell trained in Manchester and Sheffield, England and Melbourne, Australia. His undergraduate experience was in Manchester. He completed his MRCP training then moved over to Sheffield Children’s Hospital for research and training in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine. Colin completed a Respiratory Fellowship at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and on his return to Sheffield, as Senior Registrar he obtained his MD, FRCPCH and CCST in Paediatrics and is on the Specialty Register as a Paediatric Pulmonologist. However his clinical interest in acute and general paediatrics took him to his first consultant post in 1998 as an Emergency and General Physician at RCH Melbourne where he obtained FRACP. Colin returned to the UK in 2002 to continue his clinical interests in General Paediatrics at the Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff. After five years in management he realised the error of his ways and was appointed to Senior Lecturer in Child Health in 2007 in the Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine at Cardiff University to peruse a research program. His research has focused on acute paediatric illness with an interest in gastroenterological, respiratory and sepsis related problems. He is also Director of the Undergraduate Child Health Program for Cardiff University. Colin sits on the RCPCH CSAC committee as Academic Representative and has recently handed over the Chairs of the British Association of General Paediatricians and Medicine for Children Research Network Clinical Studies Group (General Paediatrics) after 5 years in each role.