Albuterol (also called salbutamol outside of the United States) is a type of medicine. It is a bronchodilator. This means it makes the bronchi - the tubes that bring oxygen to the lungs - get wider. This makes it easier for oxygen to get to the lungs. From the lungs, oxygen goes into the blood and travels to the rest of the body. In medicine, albuterol is called a "β2 adrenergic receptor agonist."