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Published on: December 17, 2017

Urine retention in a child treated with oral salbutamol

Enza D'Auria1, Marzia Mandelli, Francesco Di Dio

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Italy.

Indian Journal of Pharmacology
|October 23, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Oral salbutamol can cause acute urinary retention in children, a rare adverse drug reaction. This case highlights the importance of considering the route of administration for drug safety in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pharmacology
  • Adverse Drug Reactions
  • Urology

Background:

  • Voiding difficulties are known drug side effects, but the impact of administration route, particularly in children, is under-researched.
  • Salbutamol is commonly administered via inhalation for wheezing, yet oral formulations are still used in certain pediatric settings.

Observation:

  • A 3-year-old boy experienced two episodes of acute urinary retention.
  • Both retention episodes occurred shortly after receiving oral salbutamol therapy.

Findings:

  • This case represents the first documented instance of acute urinary retention as an adverse drug reaction to oral salbutamol in a child.
  • Systemic side effects of salbutamol in children are documented, but urinary retention linked to the oral route is novel.

Implications:

  • Clinicians should be aware of the potential for acute urinary retention with oral salbutamol in pediatric patients.
  • This finding underscores the importance of route of administration in pediatric drug safety and warrants further investigation into salbutamol's effects.

Keywords:
Pediatric settingsystemic salbutamolurinary retention

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