Metabolic response to intravenous salbutamol therapy in acute asthma.

In patients suffering from an acute attack of asthma the effects of salbutamol infusion (10 microng/min) on their plasma concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglyceride, insulin, and glucose were compared with those in a group of asthmatics not requiring infusion. Salbutamol was found significantly to increase the plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin while having little effect on NEFA or triglyceride. However, NEFA concentrations were found to be significantly increased in patients with an acute attack of asthma at the time of their admission to hospital. This increase is attributed to the stress of the asthmatic attack itself.