title: Randomized trial of salbutamol in acute bronchiolitis.
abstract: To test whether nebulized salbutamol (albuterol) is safe and efficacious for the treatment of young children with acute bronchiolitis, we enrolled 83 children (median age 6 months, range 1 to 21 months) in a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Participants received two treatments at 30-minute intervals of either nebulized salbutamol (0.10 mg/kg in 2 ml 0.9% saline solution) or a similar volume of 0.9% saline solution placebo. Outcome measures were the respiratory rate, pulse oximetry, and a clinical score based on the degree of wheezing and retractions. Patients in the salbutamol arm had significantly greater improvement in clinical scores after the initial treatment (p = 0.04). There was no difference between the groups in oxygen saturation (p = 0.74); patients treated with salbutamol had a small increase in heart rate after two treatments (159 +/- 16 vs 151 +/- 16; p = 0.03). We conclude that salbutamol is safe and effective for the initial treatment of young children with acute bronchiolitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa School of Medicine, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Klassen
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sutcliffe
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ropp
authors.forename: I W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: McDowell
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D015588:Observer Variation; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000187:drug effects; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; D010253:Respirovirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000420:Albuterol