Annals of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Superiority of ipratropium plus albuterol over albuterol alone in the emergency department management of adult asthma: a randomized clinical trial.
The use of nebulized ipratropium in combination with beta-agonists for the treatment of acute asthma in adults is controversial. We wished to test the hypothesis that combined aerosol treatment results in a greater rate of airflow improvement and a lower proportion of hospital admission in adults with acute asthma. ⋯ These data suggest that ipratropium should be combined with initial albuterol nebulization in the ED treatment of acute asthma in adults, especially those with PEFRs less than 200 L/min.