title: The superiority of combination beclomethasone and salbutamol over standard dosing of salbutamol in the treatment of chronic asthma.
abstract: We studied the clinical effect of a combination aerosol containing salbutamol and beclomethasone dipropionate in comparison to doubling the standard dose of salbutamol from an inhaler. Fifty-seven patients completed the double-blind, crossover study. They were treated with either an aerosol of 100 micrograms beclomethasone dipropionate and 200 micrograms salbutamol or 400 micrograms salbutamol alone. Both regimens were administered four times a day for 4 weeks. The patients showed significant improvement in FEV1, PEFR, and symptom scores after treatment with beclomethasone dipropionate and salbutamol compared with pre-trial values and with treatment with double the dose of salbutamol. The patients demonstrated a clear preference for treatment with the combination of beclomethasone dipropionate and salbutamol. Regular treatment with beclomethasone dipropionate in addition to salbutamol as a combination inhaler provides much better control of asthma than merely increasing the dose of salbutamol in those patients poorly controlled on standard doses of inhaled bronchodilators.
authors.affiliation: Kanta-Häme Central Hospital, Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Hämeenlinna, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haahtela
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alanko
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muittari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lahdensuo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sahlström
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vilkka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000336:Aerosols; D000368:Aged; D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D001507:Beclomethasone; D000420:Albuterol