Salbutamol: Tablets, inhalational powder, or nebuliser?

Abstract

A study was carried out to ascertain the most effective method of giving salbutamol. Seventeen children with severe asthma received active salbutamol (4 mg via a nebuliser, 400 μg as an inhalational powder, or a 4 mg tablet) together with complementary placebos on a double-blind, triple-dummy randomly allocated basis. The bronchodilatation effect was assessed by measuring the peak expiratory flow rate. The bronchodilatation effect was greatest when patients received nebulised salbutamol (p < 0.05) but lasted longest when they received the tablet (p < 0.0001); the onset of the effect was rapid with all forms of administration. These results indicate that nebulised salbutamol gives the best relief in severe asthma; in less severe cases, however, a regimen combining the inhalational powder and tablets is sufficient and more convenient.