| Study | Magnesium regimen | Control regimen | β-agonist regimen | Corticosteroid regimen | Co-interventions |
| Bijani | 25 mg/kg over 30–45 min | 100 ml saline solution | Salbutamol (interval not stated) | Corticosteroids (type not stated) | Aminophylline |
| Silverman | 2 g loading dose over 10–15 min | 50 ml saline solution | Albuterol 0, 30, 60, 120, 180 min | 125 mg IV MP | None stated |
| Porter | 2 g loading dose over 20 min | 50 ml saline solution | Albuterol 20 min intervals | 125 mg IV MP | None stated |
| Bilaceroglu | 2 g loading dose | 100 ml of 5% dextrose | Salbutamol 0, 30, 60, 120, 180 min | 125 mg MP if PEFR <40% predicted | Theophylline |
| Boonyavorakul | 2 g loading dose | 2 ml sterile water in 50 ml saline | Salbutamol 0, 20, 40, 60 min | 5 mg IV dexamethasone | None stated |
| Scarfone | 75 mg/kg over 20 min (max 2.5 g) | Saline solution | Albuterol 0.15 mg/kg 0, 40, 80, 120 min | 1.0 mg/kg MP IV (max 125 mg) | None stated |
| Ciarallo | 40 mg/kg over 20 min (max 2 g) | 100 ml saline solution | Albuterol | 2 mg/kg MP IV (max 100 mg) | Ipratropium |
| Gurkan | 40 mg/kg over 20 min (max 2 g) | Saline solution equivalent volume | Salbutamol 0.15 mg/kg | 2 mg/kg MP IV (max 100 mg) | None stated |
| Devi | 100 mg/kg over 35 min | Saline solution equivalent volume | Salbutamol 0.15 mg/kg | Hydrocortisone IV/oral (no dose provided) | Aminophylline |
| Ciarallo | 25 mg/kg over 20 min (max 2 g) | Saline solution equivalent volume | Albuterol 0.15 mg/kg | 2 mg/kg IV MP | None stated |
| Bloch | 2 g loading dose over 20 min | 50 ml saline solution | Albuterol 0, 30, 60, 120, 180 min | 125 mg IV MP if initial FEV1 ⩽40% or oral steroids last 6/12 | Theophylline |
| Matusiewicz | 1.2 g loading dose over 15 min | 50 ml saline solution | Salbutamol at discretion of physician | 200 mg IV hydrocortisone | Ipratropium neb, aminophylline IV |
| Tiffany | 2 g loading dose over 20 min followed by infusion of MgSO4 or placebo | Saline solution | Albuterol 30 min intervals | 125 mg IV MP | Aminophylline |
| Green | 2 g loading dose over 20 min | No placebo | Albuterol initially then hourly | 125 mg IV MP | Theophylline β-agonist injection ephedrine |
| Skobeloff | 1.2 g loading dose over 20 min | 50 ml saline solution | Metaproterol/albuterol at physician discretion | 125 mg IV MP | Theophylline IV |
FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; IV, intravenous; MP, methylprednisolone; PEFR, peak expiratory flow rate.