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Response of asthmatic patients to fenoterol inhalation: A method of quantifying the airway bronchodilator dose
Author(s) -
Ruffin R. E.,
Kenworthy M. C.,
Newhouse M. T.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt1978233338
Subject(s) - fenoterol , bronchodilator , medicine , microgram , anesthesia , placebo , inhalation , palpitations , asthma , chemistry , biochemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , in vitro
A radiotracer technique is described which enables direct measurement of the dose and distribution of inhaled aerosol bronchodilator in man. The mean (±SD) amounts of the B 2 ‐adrenergic agonist, fenoterol, administered to a group of 12 asthmatic subjects in a double‐blind randomized fashion were: placebo, 0 µg; low dose, 5.6 (± 1.2) µg; medium dose, 32.7 (±7.3) µg; and high dose, 127.5 (±29.2) µg, with a mean of 86.3% of the total subject dose being deposited in the lungs. The medium and high doses of fenoterol produced similar increases above baseline in forced expired volume in 1 sec (FEV 1 ), maximum flow at 50% of vital capacity (V max 50 ), and maximum flow at 25% of vital capacity (V max 25 ). These increases were greater than those with placebo for the entire 4‐hr study (p < 0.01). The low dose of fenoterol was more effective than placebo in increasing FEV 1 , V max 50 , and V max 25 above baseline values (p < 0.05), but not for the entire 4‐hr study. The high‐dose fenoterol caused palpitations and tremor in 3 of the 12 subjects, and the medium‐dose fenoterol caused palpitations in one of these subjects.