A COMPARISON OF A BODYWEIGHT DOSE VERSUS A FIXED-DOSE OF NEBULIZED SALBUTAMOL IN ACUTE ASTHMA IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Objective: To compare the efficacy of salbutamol as a fixed dose Ventolin Nebule (2.5 mg) and as variable dose respirator solution (0.1 mg/kg bodyweight). Design: Multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel group comparison. Setting: The Emergency Departments of the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria; Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia; and The Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales. Patients: Ninety-nine children between four and 12 years of age who presented to the Emergency Departments with mild to moderate acute asthma from May to December 1990. Interventions: Children enrolled in the study were randomly allocated to one of two groups. Group 1 received one Nebule (2.5 mg salbutamol in 2.5 mL aqueous solution) delivered by wet nebulisation. Group 2 received salbutamol (approximately 0.1 mg/kg bodyweight) diluted with saline to 2.5 mL, delivered by identical wet nebulisation. Main outcome measures: (i) Clinical score; (ii) pulse oximetry; and (iii) peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) where possible - measured before, and st 15 and 30 minutes after treatment with salbutamol. Results: The clinical score significantly improved in both treatment groups after 15 minutes (P Conclusions: A fixed dose of nebulised salbutamol is as efficacious as a salbutamol dose calculated for bodyweight in children with mild to moderate acute asthma