title: A controlled trial of the use of single versus combined-drug therapy in the treatment of acute episodes of asthma.
abstract: Eighty-nine patients who presented to the hospital for treatment of acute episodes of asthma were randomly assigned to initial therapy with subcutaneously administered epinephrine or 1 of 2 combination regimens consisting of intravenously administered aminophylline and either subcutaneously administered of epinephrine or inhaled isoproterenol. During the first hour of treatment, as a group, the patients treated with the 2-drug regimens showed greater objective improvement than did patients who received epinephrine alone. This was particularly true for patients with either severe airway obstruction or a subtherapeutic theophylline concentration at the time of presentation. There were no differences in the heart rate and blood pressure responses to the 3 regimens, and symptoms consistent with drug side effects were not reported more frequently by patients treated with 2 drugs. Thus, the combination of sympathomimetics and aminophylline appear more effective, and no more toxic, than epinephrine alone for the initial treatment of acute episodes of asthma.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000628:Aminophylline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D000628:Aminophylline; D007545:Isoproterenol; D004837:Epinephrine