Emergency treatment of asthma. A comparison of two treatment regimens
G. W. Josephson, E. J. MacKenzie, P. S. Lietman and G. Gibson
The effectiveness of epinephrine was compared to that of a combination of
epinephrine and aminophylline in the initial treatment of acute asthma.
Forty-four patients with 51 episodes of acute asthma were evaluated. Peak
flow spirometry served as an objective measure of airway resistance, and
theophylline levels were determined at fixed intervals throughout the
study. Epinephrine and aminophylline were not found to be superior to
epinephrine alone. There was no correlation between mean serum theophylline
levels and the magnitude of improvement. Rapidity of emergency department
discharge and frequency of admission was independent of treatment method.
The failure of epinephrine-aminophylline to effect more rapid or profound
improvement in pulmonary function might suggest that epinephrine alone, or
an equivalent sympathomimetic is a rational choice in the initial treatment
of acute asthma.
