Are all asthmatics ESI level 4 because they will require a nebulized medication?
No. Stable asthmatics who only require a nebulized medications are assigned ESI level 4. However, some asthmatics are in severe respiratory distress and meet ESI level-2 criteria. Others are somewhere in between and will require intravenous steroids or an x-ray in addition to nebulized treatments and would be assigned ESI level 3. Finally, asthmatics who require only a prescription refill of their inhaler are assigned ESI level 5. They do not require any resources.
