Continuous vs. Intermittent Inhaled Albuterol in Severe Asthma

There are conflicting data on whether continuously inhaled albuterol is superior to intermittently inhaled albuterol in patients with severe asthma. In this double-blind controlled trial from Tunisia, researchers randomly assigned 42 adults with acute severe asthma to receive nebulized albuterol over 6 hours, either continuously or intermittently (at 20-minute intervals during the first hour, and then hourly over the next 5 hours). The total dose of albuterol was the same in both groups (27.5 mg).

The 2 groups had virtually identical improvements in peak expiratory flow rate and in a clinical severity score, both during the first hour and during the subsequent 5 hours. Of the 21 patients in each group, hospitalization was necessary for 8 con…