Dexmedetomidine as an adjunctive treatment for acute asthma

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of using dexmedetomidine with salbutamol and salbutamol nebulization alone in patients with acute exacerbation of asthma presenting to the emergency department. METHODS: This clinical trial included 60 patients, in the age range of 18 to 55 years, with signs of bronchospasm presenting to the emergency department. In the intervention group, dexmedetomidine 0.5 µg/kg was injected intravenously and three doses of salbutamol nebulization were administered over 60 minutes. In the control group, salbutamol nebulization was administered for 60 minutes three times. The patient’s clinical status, based on clinical symptoms, consciousness, speech, breathing rate, heart rate, and blood pressure were recorded before the intervention, and peak expiratory flow rate and forced expiratory volume in 1 second were measured at 20, 40, and 60 minutes after intervention. Patients who did not respond to the intervention were excluded from the study within 60 minutes. RESULTS: The increased mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second and mean peak expiratory flow rate were found to be similar in both groups during the treatment (P=0.304). The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure recorded at 40 and 60 minutes were significantly lower in the intervention group. During this study, no patient was excluded before 60 minutes. CONCLUSION: Administration of dexmedetomidine in addition to standard salbutamol treatment has no beneficial effect in patients with acute asthma attacks and merely causes hypotension in patients.