Salbutamol versus theophylline for wheezy infant.

OBJECTIVE To compare the tolerability and efficacy of salbutamol and theophylline in treating wheezy infant. DESIGN This was a prospective parallel group study. SETTING AND SUBJECTS Wheezy infants admitted in paediatric ward of Khulna Medical College Hospital from January 1998 to March 1999. MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLES Palatability of drugs, clinical efficacy of drugs and adverse events during treatment. RESULTS Ninety-five patients had undergone this study. Forty eight were was in salbutamol group and 47 in theophylline group. Clinical problem at the beginning was recurrent wheeze (46.3%), wheeze with fever (32.6%) and spasmodic cough (21.1%). Salbutamol was more palatable (P < 0.001) than theophylline. However efficacy of both the drugs were nearly equal (P > 0.1). Adverse effect was more frequent in theophylline treated children (47.4%) than in salbutamol group (24.4%). CONCLUSION Salbutamol is better tolerated than theophylline whereas both the drugs were equally effective for bronchodilation in infancy.