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Terbutaline in the treatment of acute asthma in childhood
Insights
Terbutaline effectively treats acute childhood asthma attacks, offering significant clinical improvement comparable to epinephrine. This study highlights terbutaline as a valuable bronchodilator for pediatric asthma management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Acute asthma exacerbations in children require effective bronchodilator therapy.
- Terbutaline and epinephrine are commonly used agents for asthma relief.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of terbutaline compared to epinephrine in treating acute asthma attacks in children.
- To assess the impact of these bronchodilators on airway obstruction, respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind study involving 48 children (ages 2-16) with known asthma during acute attacks.
- Subcutaneous administration of either terbutaline or epinephrine.
- Systematic measurements of vital signs and clinical assessment of airway obstruction at baseline and at 15, 30, and 60 minutes post-administration.
Main Results:
- Both terbutaline and epinephrine demonstrated comparable and significant clinical improvement in approximately 19 out of 24 patients in each group.
- A minor but significant increase in heart rate was observed with terbutaline, indicating its relative, not absolute, selectivity for lung receptors.
- No significant differences in systemic arterial blood pressure were noted between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Terbutaline is an effective bronchodilator for managing acute childhood asthma.
- The findings support the use of terbutaline as a safe and effective treatment option for pediatric asthma exacerbations.
- Terbutaline exhibits relative selectivity for the lungs, though cardiovascular effects should be monitored.
Abstract:
Forty-eight children with known asthma (ranging in age from 2 to 16 years) were studied during an acute attack. Each received either terbutaline or epinephrine subcutaneously in a random double-blind fashion. Measurement of heart rate, respiratory rate, and systemic arterial systolic and diastolic blood pressures and careful clinical assessment of obstruction of the airway were made before and at 15, 30, and 60 minutes after the administration of the drugs. Appreciable and significant clinical improvement was noted in 19 of the 24 patients in both groups and was of comparable magnitude. A small, but significant, increase in heart rate was noted in those patients requiring only one injection of terbutaline, suggesting that the drug's selectivity for the lung is relative not absolute. The present study demonstrates that terbutaline is an effective bronchodilator drug in acute childhood asthma.