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A Study of Self Poisoning with Oral Salbutamol - Laboratory and Clinical Features

Department of Thoracic Medicine, Guy's Hospital, London

E. Essex

The National Poisons Information Service, New Cross Hospital, London, UK

G.N. Volans

The National Poisons Information Service, New Cross Hospital, London, UK

G.M. Cochrane

Department of Thoracic Medicine, Guy's Hospital, London

1 The recent increase in asthma mortality coupledwith reports of fatal asthma associated with beta- 2-agonist therapy, has stimulated interest in the plasma concentrations of beta-2-agonists that produce systemic toxicity.

2 We prospectively studied 17 patients (9 male),mean age 23 years (range 2-72), who attendedthe emergency departments of hospitalsthroughout the United Kingdom having recently ingested an overdose of salbutamol.

3 Clinical, laboratory, ECG data, plasma and urine samples were obtained from each patient. Plasmawas assayed for salbutamol concentration using ahigh performance TLC-photodensitometric method.

4 The mean (± s.d.) salbutamol dose reported to have been ingested was 89(+83)mg and the mean plasma salbutamol concentration was 166 (range 18-449) ng ml potassium was 2.9 (s.d.±0.6) mM (n=16). None of^-1. The mean plasma the patients in this study developed serious cardiac dysrrhythmias.

5 There were significant correlations between the plasma salbutamol concentration and plasma potassium concentration (r=-0.85; P<0.00005) and between plasma salbutamol concentration and pulse rate (r=0,66; P<0.005).

6 We conclude that in these patients, without respiratory decompensation, suprapharmacological plasma concentrations ofsalbutamol were tolerated without serious cardiac arrhythmias or any fatalities.

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 12, No. 5, 397-401 (1993)
DOI: 10.1177/096032719301200509


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