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. 2021 Mar 3;13(3):e13672.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.13672.

Short-Term Effect of Inhaled Salbutamol on Heart Rate in Healthy Volunteers

Salman A Syed  1 , Nawabzada Zeerak Farhat Sherwani  1 , Bismah Riaz  1 , Javed Iqbal  1 , Manahil Chaudhry  2 , Mohammad Abdullah  1 , Ayesha Malik  2
Affiliations

Short-Term Effect of Inhaled Salbutamol on Heart Rate in Healthy Volunteers

Salman A Syed et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Objective Tachycardia is a potential side effect of salbutamol inhalation. We aimed to study the short-term effect of salbutamol nebulization on the heart rate of healthy volunteers. Material and methods A randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was conducted with 30 healthy volunteers divided into two groups of 15 each. One group was nebulized with salbutamol (2.5 mg/2 ml dilution) while the other group was given normal saline (2 ml). Each arm underwent administration of the opposite drug the following week. Baseline readings of heart rate and blood pressure were taken at zero (T0), seven (T7), 15 (T15), and 30 (T30) minutes. Results Thirty volunteers between the ages of 20 and 25 years were studied. The mean heart rate value was higher for nebulized salbutamol at each point as compared to saline. When nebulized with salbutamol, the heart rate had a significant rise (p= < 0.00001) at 15 minutes as compared to saline nebulization. Conclusion Salbutamol nebulization, even at a low dose, can lead to a significant increase in heart rate when compared to nebulization with normal saline in healthy individuals.

Keywords: nebulization; salbutamol; short acting beta-agonist; tachycardia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Changes in heart rate following nebulization with salbutamol and saline
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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