Articles: bronchodilator-agents-adverse-effects.
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Letter Case Reports
Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia after a single dose of nebulized epinephrine in pediatric emergency department.
Cardiac adverse effects are not commonly reported complications of nebulized epinephrine therapy. We present a case of critical cardiac arrhythmia developed at the Pediatric Emergency Department in an otherwise healthy infant after receiving 3 mg of L-epinephrine (1:1000) nebulization over a 90 min period for a diagnosis of bronchiolitis. ⋯ Frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) were found initially following the cardiac insult that was controlled with oral amiodarone, and disappeared during follow-up. Although epinephrine inhalation is generally safe, adverse life-threatening events could be unpredictable and may evolve even after a single dose of nebulized epinephrine.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Sep 2011
'Safe' methaemoglobin concentrations are a mortality risk factor in patients receiving inhaled nitric oxide.
Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) can reduce pulmonary arterial hypertension and improve oxygenation in some patients with severe respiratory or heart failure. Despite this, iNO has not been found to improve survival. This study aimed to perform a local practice audit to assess the mortality predictors of critically ill patients who had received iNO as therapy for pulmonary hypertension and respiratory or heart failure. ⋯ The independent risk factors for intensive care unit mortality were worsening Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores within 24 hours of commencing iNO (adjusted odds ratio 1.07, 95% confidence interval 1.05 to 1.18), the Charlson Comorbidity Score (adjusted odds ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.16 to 1.91) and the peak methaemoglobin concentration in arterial blood while receiving iNO (adjusted odds ratio 2.67, 95% confidence interval 1.42 to 4.96). Inhaled nitric oxide as salvage therapy for severe respiratory failure in critically ill patients is not routinely justified. Increased methaemoglobin concentration during iNO therapy, even when predominantly less than 3%, is associated with increased mortality.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Aug 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialTiotropium improves lung function in patients with severe uncontrolled asthma: a randomized controlled trial.
Some patients with severe asthma remain symptomatic and obstructed despite maximal recommended treatment. Tiotropium, a long-acting inhaled anticholinergic agent, might be an effective bronchodilator in such patients. ⋯ The addition of once-daily tiotropium to asthma treatment, including a high-dose inhaled corticosteroid plus a long-acting β₂-agonist, significantly improves lung function over 24 hours in patients with inadequately controlled, severe, persistent asthma.