Salbutamol or trabutolin (inhalation suspensions)
- Form of administration: Inhalation
-
Why is the drug here:
Bronchodilators – one of the most common and useful inhalation suspension in pediatrics.
-
Purpose of treatment:
To treat an asthma attack in children through inhalation. In most cases it will be given together with saline and steroids for inhalation.
Note, these bronchodilators are great as a combination with steroids in the treatment of an acute asthma attack but they are not a good option for the prevention of asthma attacks or as a routine treatment frequently.
- Ingredients: Bronchodilators are agonists to specific receptors in the lungs, whose function is to relax the smooth muscles in the lungs and dilate the airways. The active ingredient is called salbutamol or trabutolin.
-
How to use:
Most often used as a mixture of saline and steroids. Recommended dose is 0.5 cc (half a milliliter) in children over six months of age, and 0.3 cc in infants younger then six months of age.
-
Benefits:
For those who for some reason prefer to use inhalations as treatment, these are the drugs of choice (along with steroids) for inhalation in children.
-
Side Effects:
Mostly tachycardia, tremor and unpleasant feeling for the child. If this happens you can lower the number of clicks in the inhaler or lower the dose (for example, in a child over the age of six months, you can reduce to 0.3 cc).
-
Another word from the doctor:
You should have a good reason to use inhalations as treatment for children, since inhalers are considered the treatment of choice these days. I recommend reading the chapter on using inhalations or inhalers at the link below (soon).