Clinical comparison of intramuscular terbutaline and subcutaneous adrenaline in bronchial asthma
In a double-blind cross-over trial in 20 asthmatic patients, terbutaline 0.25 mg i.m. was compared with adrenaline 0.3 mg given subcutaneously. Both drugs caused pronounced bronchodilatation after 5 minutes and a maximal effect after 60 min. There was no significant difference in onset or duration of their actions. Adrenaline had a slightly greater maximum effect (p<0.05), there was a slight rise in heart rate and a significant fall in diastolic blood pressure after terbutaline, and a slight decrease in heart rate after adrenaline. Side effects occurred in 6 patients after adrenaline and 7 after terbutaline, the most important being slight tremor and restlessness. Intramuscular terbutaline is an effective alternative to the established use of adrenaline in the treatment of bronchial asthma.