Comparison of Epinephrine to Salbutamol in Acute Bronchiolitis

Objective: An appropriate treatment of acute viral bronchiolitis can reduce the symptoms, hospitalization duration and exorbitant costs which is imposed on the families and insurance organizations. This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of epinephrine in comparison with salbutamol in the treatment of the disease.
Methods: Forty infants aged one month to 2 years with acute bronchiolitis in Amin and Al-Zahra hospitals, during 2008, were enrolled in this study. The participants were randomized in two treatment groups to receive epinephrine 0.1 ml/kg or salbutamol 0.15 mg/kg. Three doses of each medication were prescribed at intervals of 20 minutes and continued every 10 minutes after the third dose. The patients in both groups were monitored and rated by RDAI, number of the hospitalized days in the hospital, level of oxygen saturation and vital signs.
Findings: Mean hospitalization duration was 3.3±1.1 and 3±0.9 in the patients receiving salbutamol and epinephrine, respectively (P=0.03). There was a significant difference in assessing RDAI index between the two groups (P=0.03). There were no differences in SPO2, PR, or RR variables in the studied intervals in both groups (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Regarding the effect of epinephrine on reduction of hospitalization duration and the RDAI index in patients with acute bronchiolitis, it seems that using epinephrine instead of salbutamol could be more effective in the management of the disease.