Conditions: COPD Sepsis Shock
Keywords: Tachycardia tachyarrhythmias bronchodilator therapy Critically ill patients
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 89
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of the study is to determine adverse events rates of nebulized albuterol versus levalbuterol among adult critically ill patients and determine if a differential exists in adverse events between the two drugs.

Detailed description:
A randomized, single-blind, cross-over, prospective study was conducted in seventy critically ill adult patients with acute air flow obstruction. Patients were randomized to nebulized albuterol alternating with levalbuterol every 4 to 6 hours. Group A received albuterol 2.5 mg alternating with levalbuterol 0.63 mg. Group B received albuterol 2.5 mg alternating with levalbuterol 1.25 mg. All patients received nebulized ipratropium bromide 500 micrograms with each treatment. Heart rate and cardiac rhythm were continuously recorded before and 15 minutes after finishing each treatment. Any new rhythm abnormalities between treatments were also recorded.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients received an initial dose of levalbuterol 0.63 mg alternating with albuterol 2.5 mg. arm 2: Patients received an initial dose of levalbuterol 1.25 mg alternating with albuterol 2.5 mg.

Interventions: intervention 1: Levalbuterol intervention 2: Albuterol
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: inhaled Levalbuterol 0.625 mg inhaled Levalbuterol 2.5 mg intervention 2: Nebulized albuterol 2.5mg

Protocol document: