Finding the best therapy for severe asthma attacks in children & young people
What is the EVITA trial?
The EVITA trial aims to improve asthma management for children and young people with severe asthma attacks.
The trial will compare the three different medicines currently used in hospital emergency departments to determine whether aminophylline, magnesium or salbutamol is the optimum treatment.
In the randomised clinical trial, children and young people attending their hospital emergency department (A&E) with a severe asthma attack will be treated with an injection of one of the three medicines currently being used in the NHS.
The three medicines are aminophylline, magnesium or salbutamol.
This trial will determine which of these is most effective, which is most acceptable to patients and families, and which represents the best value for money for the NHS.
The trial has been developed with parents and young people from Asthma + Lung UK and CARRii. The trial has a Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) group that is working with the rest of the trial team to deliver the project.
The information generated by the EVITA trial will be used to revise national evidence-based clinical guidelines. This will ensure that children and young people with a severe asthma attack receive the best treatment. The trial is planned to start in Summer/Autumn 2025.