Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Background & Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) is one of the most common causes of emergency department or hospital admissions in our country. COPD is a chronic progressive inflammatory disease that affects the elderly. Considering these facts, COPD is taken into account as a major cause of disability in developed and developing countries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate high dose(7.5mg) Albuterol effects versus low dose(2.5mg) Albuterol ones on respiratory indices such as peak expiratory flow rate(PEFR), arterial blood gas(ABG) criteria, and dyspnea in exacerbated COPD patients.

Method: In order to shorten admission course of these patients, we planned a clinical single-blind trial study. In this study, the respiratory effects(spirometric indices, ABG criteria, levels of dyspea) of different doses of nebulized Albuterol were evaluated in two study groups in Rasoul-e-Akram Emergency Department from 2003. Available sampling was done and 120 cases were enrolled in the study. Then two study groups were designed single-blindly and sixty(60) cases were assigned to each group.

Results: Data was analyzed by parametric tests(student t-test,paired t-test). No statistical difference was observed between means of variables of two geoups pre-and post intervention.(PV=0.173 for Age, PV=0.378 for PCO2, PV=0.237 for PH, PV=0.668 for HCO3, PV=0.096 for PaO2, PV=0.207 for PEFR, PV=0.094 for dyspnea).

Conclusion: Although our findings confirmed the effectiveness of β -agonist drugs in treatment of COPD patients, higher doses of drugs do not necessarily mean their more efficacy.