A CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE USE OF SINGLE VERSUS COMBINED-DRUG THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE EPISODES OF ASTHMA

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 123  (2) , 190-194
Abstract
Patients [89] who presented to the hospital for treatment of acute episodes of asthma were randomly assigned to initial therapy with s.c. administered epinephrine or 1 of 2 combination regimens consisting of i.v. administered aminophylline and either s.c. administered epinephrine or inhaled isoproterenol. During the 1st h of treatment, as a group, the patients treated with the 2 drug regimens showed greater objective improvement than did patients who received epinephrine alone. This was particularly true for patinets with severe airway obstruction or a subtherapeutic theophylline concentration at the time of presentation. There were no differences in the heart rate and blood pressure responses to the 3 regimens, and symptoms consistent with drug side effects were not reported more frequently by patients treated with 2 drugs. Combinations of sympathomimetics and aminophylline appear more effective, and no more toxic, than epinephrine alone for the initial treatment of acute episodes of asthma.