Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Dry Powder and Nebulized Aerosol Inhalation of Pharmaceuticals Delivered to Mice Using a Nose-only Exposure System
Published on: April 6, 2017
Prevalence of paradoxical bronchoconstriction after inhaled albuterol
Andrew J Schissler1, Bartolome R Celli2
1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Purpose:
Paradoxical bronchoconstriction with resulting decreased airflow occurs in some patients after administration of bronchodilators. This study assessed the frequency of paradoxical bronchoconstriction in a real-life clinical setting at a large academic medical center.
Procedures:
We analyzed data from 4593 patients who underwent pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry testing. We assessed the forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) before and after the administration of an inhaled short-acting β2-agonist. Patients were categorized into 3 groups: bronchodilation, no significant change and paradoxical bronchoconstriction.
Main Findings:
When assessing response to bronchodilators, 201 (4.4%) patients demonstrated significant bronchoconstriction, whereas 849 (18.5%) showed bronchodilation. The majority (3543 or 77.1%) had no significant change. There were no significant relationships noted between paradoxical bronchoconstriction and sex, race/ethnicity or body mass index.
Conclusions:
A significant subset of patients experience paradoxical bronchoconstriction after albuterol administration. Further research to better understand the clinical implications of paradoxical acute bronchoconstriction is needed.
Related Concept Videos
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health...
Inhaled Medications
Pulmonary Ventilation: Inhalation
Boyle's law becomes particularly pertinent when examining respiratory...
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview
Antiasthma Drugs: Inhaled Corticosteroids and Glucocorticoids
ICS work through a multifaceted mechanism of action. They suppress the inflammatory response caused by the proliferation of TH cells. They also reduce the transcription of the IL-2 gene, which is involved in the...
Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies

