Comparison of the single dose inhaled salbutamol via a pressurised aerosol and a dry powder inhaler.

ABSTRACT

Metered dose aerosol bronchodilators are presently widely used in the treatment of asthmatic patients. However, this route of administration has often been ineffective in children and the elderly who find greater difficulty in synchronizing the inspiration with the release of the high velocity aerosol spray. Lately, there have been several developments in inhaled therapy to overcome this problem such as the spacer and the Rotahalerฎ. The objective of this trial was to compare the effectiveness of treatment in asthmatics using either the salbutamol aerosol 200 mcg via the MDI or salbutamol powder 200 and 400 mcg administered via the Rotahalerฎ in a double-blind cross-over study. 27 asthmatic patients were recruited into the study at the Department of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital. Results of the study indicated that the average PF and FEV1 values obtained after using either MDI or Rotahalerฎ were significantly higher than the basal values from 5 minutes to 3 hours after drugs administration. No significant difference in bronchodilating effect was observed for the three regimens. No adverse effect was found with the dosages studied. A majority of patients (66.7%) preferred administration of drug via the Rotahalerฎ to the metered dose inhaler.