Nebulization versus injection in ambulatory treatment of acute asthma: a comparative study.
Nebulization treatment of acute asthma with terbutaline and ipratropium bromide, given either separately with a 30-minute interval or combined as single inhalation, was compared with injection treatment with a combination of terbutaline given subcutaneously and theophylline given intravenously. Seventy-seven episodes of acute asthma were studied. Nebulization treatment gave the same degree of bronchodilation as the injections, both immediately after treatment [measured as increase in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and improvement of dyspnoea] and during the following 6 days (measured by PEFR recordings at home). The injection treatment caused a moderate increase in heart rate, whereas no circulatory side-effects were noted during nebulization treatment. Administration of ipratropium bromide 30 minutes after terbutaline was not more effective than the combination of both substances as a single nebulization.
Janson
C
C
Department of Lung Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Herala
M
M
Sjögren
I
I
D000208:Acute Disease; D000336:Aerosols; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001286:Atropine Derivatives / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D009241:Ipratropium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D013726:Terbutaline / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000336:Aerosols; D001286:Atropine Derivatives; D009241:Ipratropium; D013726:Terbutaline