Salbutamol Causes More Harm Than Benefit to Patients with Early ARDS

Salbutamol infusion significantly increased 28-day mortality.

Early acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by severe gas-exchange impairment due to noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. In a previous single-center trial (Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2006; 173:281), researchers demonstrated that treatment with intravenous salbutamol (15 μg/kg ideal body weight per hour) for up to 7 days decreased extravascular lung water and improved pulmonary mechanics in early ARDS. To examine whether such treatment also decreases mortality and organ failure in patients with early (<72 hours duration) ARDS, researchers initiated a randomized, placebo-controlled trial at 46 intensive care units in the U.K.

The study was stopped early (enrollment ceased at 326 of a planned 1334 patients) due to serious adver…

Reviewing Author

Patricia Kritek, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsATS Scholar

Patricia Kritek, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsATS Scholar