Therapeutic Action
Short-acting beta-2 agonist bronchodilator
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Drug reference
Short-acting beta-2 agonist bronchodilator
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Symptomatic treatment of severe asthma attack, in combination with ipratropium
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May cause: headache, tremor and tachycardia, hyperglycaemia; hypokalaemia (after high doses). Never use nebuliser solution by the parenteral route. Pregnancy: no contra-indication Breast-feeding: no contra-indication
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Solution for inhalation, in unit dose vial of 5 mg in 2.5 ml (2 mg/ml), to be administered via a nebuliser
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Child under 5 years: 2.5 mg (1.25 ml) per nebulisation every 20 minutes for the first hour Child 5 to 11 years: 2.5 to 5 mg (1.25 to 2.5 ml) per nebulisation every 20 minutes for the first hour Child 12 years and over and adult: 5 mg (2.5 ml) per nebulisation every 20 minutes for the first hour Then: If symptoms do not improve, continue treatment every 20 minutes. If symptoms improve, reduce gradually the frequency of nebulisations then change to salbutamol metered dose inhaler.
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Nebulised salbutamol should be reserved for severe asthma attacks. Otherwise, salbutamol should be delivered via a metered-dose inhaler with a spacer: administration is easier and faster, the treatment is as effective, or even more effective, than with a nebuliser and causes fewer adverse effects. Volumes of nebuliser solution to be administered are insufficient to obtain efficient nebulisation in most nebulisers: dilute salbutamol solution with 0.9% sodium chloride to obtain a total volume of 4 ml in the reservoir of the nebuliser. Stop the nebulisation when the reservoir is empty (after around 10 to 15 minutes).
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– Below 25 °C
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5 mg (2.5 ml) per nebulisation every 20 minutes for the first hour
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