SALBUTAMOL = ALBUTEROL nebuliser solution

Therapeutic action

• Short-acting bronchodilator

Indications

• Symptomatic treatment of severe acute bronchospasm, e.g. in severe acute asthma attack

Forms and strengths

• Solution for inhalation, in unit dose vial of 5 mg in 2.5 ml (2 mg/ml), to be administered via a nebuliser

Dosage and duration

• Child under 5 years or under 15 kg: 2.5 mg (1.25 ml) per nebulisation, to be repeated every 20 to 30 minutes if necessary
• Child 5 years and over and adult: 2.5 to 5 mg (1.25 to 2.5 ml) per nebulisation, to be repeated every 20 to 30 minutes if necessary

Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions

• May cause: headache, tremor, tachycardia, hyperglycaemia; hypokalaemia (after large doses).
• Never use nebuliser solution by the parenteral route.
• Pregnancy: no contra-indication
• Breast-feeding: no contra-indication

Remarks

• Nebulised salbutamol should be reserved for severe acute 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 (± 10-15 minutes).

Storage