ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare the tolerability and efficacy of salbutamol and theophylline in treating wheezy infant. DESIGN: This was a prospective parallel group study. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Wheezy infants admitted in paediatric ward of Khulna Medical College Hospital from January 1998 to March 1999. MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLES: Palatability of drugs, clinical efficacy of drugs and adverse events during treatment. Ninety-five patients had undergone this study. Forty eight were was in salbutamol group and 47 in theophylline group. Clinical problem at the beginning was recurrent wheeze [46.3%], wheeze with fever [32.6%] and spasmodic cough [21.1%]. Salbutamol was more palatable [P < 0.001] than theophylline. However efficacy of both the drugs were nearly equal [P > 0.1]. Adverse effect was more frequent in theophylline treated children [47.4%] than in salbutamol group [24.4%]. Salbutamol is better tolerated than theophylline whereas both the drugs were equally effective for bronchodilation in infancy