Dose of terbutaline respirator solution in children with asthma

Twenty children, aged 8 to 17 years, with bronchial asthma were each given 0.02ml/kg, 0.03ml/kg and 0.04ml/kg terbutaline respirator solution (10mg/ml), one dose at a time on three separate occasions. Terbutaline by nebuliser produced a bronchodilator response within five minutes which reached near peak levels by 15 minutes. There was a wide variation in response. A dose of 0.02ml/kg produce a mean increase in FEV1 of 55 percent and an increase in MMEFR of 121 percent. Doses of 0.03ml/kg and 0.04ml/kg given to the same children resulted in slightly better, but not statistically significant different responses. The effect lasted for four hours, although the MMEFR was falling at this time. The baseline FEV1 did not affect the bronchodilator response. An inhalation of 0.02ml/kg of terbutaline respirator solution (10mg/ml) will produce an adequate bronchodilator response in most children.