INDICATIONS
- Severe bronchospasm
- Use slow bolus injection in patient with life-threatening features ONLY. See Asthma guideline
PREPARATIONS
- Salbutamol injection 500 microgram in 1 mL ampoule, dilute for slow IV bolus injection
- Salbutamol solution for IV infusion 5 mg in 5 mL ampoule (1 mg/mL), dilute before use
DILUENTS
- Sodium chloride 0.9% or glucose 5%
ADMINISTRATION
IV bolus injection
- For use in patient with life-threatening features ONLY
Preparation
- Use 500 microgram in 1 mL preparation
- take 0.5 mL. Make up to 20 mL with diluent in a Luer lock syringe (see Diluents) = 12.5 microgram/mL
Dosage
- IV bolus of 250 micrograms over 10 min
- administer via a syringe driver at a rate of 120 mL/hr = 2 mL/min
IV infusion
- Use this regimen for patients with non-life-threatening features
- Note that the concentration is different from the IV bolus injection guidance above
Preparation
- Use preparation for IV infusion (5 mg in 5 mL)
- Remove 5 mL from a 500 mL bag of diluent (see Diluents)
- add 5 mL (5 mg) of salbutamol to the bag = 5 mg in 500 mL = 10 microgram/mL
Dosage
- Initial rate = 5 microgram/min
- Adjust rate according to response and heart rate
- usual range:3–20 microgram/min or more if necessary
Pump rate for selected dose
IV infusion (5 mg salbutamol in 500 mL)
Enter dose required (microgram/min):
MONITORING
- Heart rate
- salbutamol increases heart rate with possible palpitations preventing dosage increase
- Cardiac monitoring is advised in patients with ischaemic heart disease
- Check plasma potassium 1–2 hr after starting IV salbutamol and after each dosage increase
- salbutamol causes rapid cellular uptake of potassium, which can lead to serious hypokalaemia
© 2022 The Bedside Clinical Guidelines Partnership.
Created by University Hospital North Midlands and Keele University School of Computing and Mathematics.
Research and development team: James Mitchell, Ed de Quincey, Charles Pantin, Naveed Mustfa