Albuterol

 

 

 

 

Generic Name:  Albuterol

 

Trade Names: Ventolin, Proventil

 

Mechanism of Action:  Albuterol is a selective Beta-2 agonist with a minimal number of side effects.  It causes prompt bronchodilation and has a duration of approximately 5 hours.  In other words, it relaxes muscles in the airway to improve breathing.

 

Indications:  Albuterol is used for asthma patients, and patients with reversible bronchial spasm associated with chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

 

Contraindications:  Contraindications to abuterol are known hypersensitivity to the drug, and symptomatic tachycardia.

 

Precautions:  The patient's vital signs must be monitored.  Use caution when administering albuterol to elderly, cardiovascular disease or hypertensive patients.  Listen to lung sounds before and after each treatment of albuterol. 

 

Side Effects:  Albuterol may can palpitations, anxiety, dizziness, headache, nervousness, tremors, hypertension, arrhythmias, chest pain, nausea, and vomiting.

 

Interactions:  You have the possibility of having unpleasant side effects when albuterol is administered with other sympathetic agonists.  Beta blockers may dull the effects of albuterol.

 

Dosage:  Albuterol can be administered a couple of different ways.  It can be given by metered-dose inhaler, small-volume nebulizer, or Rotohaler.  When administered by metered-dose inhaler a common dose is two sprays, and each spray has 90 mcg of albuterol.  When you administer albuterol through a small-volume nebulizer, you put 2.5 mg of albuterol in 3.0 mL of normal saline and administer over five to fifteen minutes.  With a rotohaler you put 1 200 mcg Rotocap in the inhaler and have the patient breath it in. 

 

Pediatric Dosage:  0.15 mg/kg in 2.5 mL of normal saline by small volume nebulizer.

 

Route:  All albuterol treatments must be administered by having the patient inhale the medication.

 

Special Considerations:  You should consult your doctor before taking albuterol if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, any seizure disorder, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, difficulty swallowing, liver disease, or kidney disease.  If someone takes too much albuterol (overdoses), they could develop chest pain, irregular heartbeats, seizure, tremors, nausea, vomiting, headache or weakness.

 

 

 Man using small-volume nebulizer