TY - JOUR AU - Tahir, Ali Mujtaba AU - Akhtar, Waqas AU - Balooch, Salah Ud Din AU - Ahmed, Waqas AU - Samar, Ali Murtaza AU - Sohail, Amina PY - 2021/04/28 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - EFFICACY OF SALBUTAMOL DELIVERED THROUGH A METERED DOSE INHALER & SPACER IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE EXACERBATION OF ASTHMA JF - Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal JA - PAFMJ VL - 71 IS - 2 SE - Original Articles DO - 10.51253/pafmj.v71i2.4388 UR - https://pafmj.org/PAFMJ/article/view/4388 SP - 438-41 AB - <p><strong>Objective:</strong> To assess efficacy of salbutamol delivered through metered dose inhaler (MDI) - spacer in paediatric patients with acute exacerbation of asthma.</p><p><strong>Study Design:</strong> Prospective observational study.</p><p><strong>Place and Duration of Study:</strong> Department of Paediatrics, Pakistan Naval Ship, Shifa Hospital, Karachi-Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2018.</p><p><strong>Methodology:</strong> Ninety Five patients aged ≥6 to ≤12 years, with acute asthma exacerbation were enrolled. Any patient with fever, clinical asthma score (CAS) &gt;7, on home treatment with drugs delivered through nebulization or on oral steroids was excluded. Clinical asthma score recorded on presentation, followed with salbutamol via Metered Dose Inhaler &amp; spacer at dose of 400 µgm (4 x puffs of 100 µgm). Clinical asthma score rechecked after 20 min. Response to salbutamol was then compared in relation to the presenting Clinical asthma score.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Out of 95 children, 45 (47.9%) were male &amp; 50 (52.1%) female with 67.4% having positive family history for asthma. Average premedication clinical asthma score was 2.44. Sixty nine (72.9%) patients had an adequate response as they exhibited clinical asthma score of 0 or fall in score of ≥2. Patients with adequate response had average clinical asthma score of 2.07 on presentation in contrast to 3.42 with inadequate response.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Salbutamol delivered via Metered Dose Inhaler &amp; spacer at dose of 400 µgm is an effective medication for quick relief in children with acute exacerbation of asthma. Moreover, its administration at a point where exacerbation is not much severe steers us towards more favourable outcome.</p> ER -