Salbutamol

Salbutamol
Salbutamol (top),
(R)-(−)-salbutamol (center) and
(S)-(+)-salbutamol (bottom)
Clinical data
Trade namesVentolin, Proventil, ProAir, others[1]
Other namesAlbuterol (USAN US)
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa607004
License data
Pregnancy
category
Routes of
administration		By mouth, inhalation, intravenous
Drug class β2 adrenergic receptor agonist
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
MetabolismLiver
Onset of action< 15 min (inhalation), < 30 min (by mouth)[8]
Elimination half-life3.8–6 hrs (inhalation); 5–7.2 hrs (by mouth)[8]
Duration of action3–6 hrs (inhalation); ≤ 8 hrs (by mouth)[8]
ExcretionKidney
Identifiers
  • (RS)-4-[2-(tert-Butylamino)-1-hydroxyethyl]-2-(hydroxymethyl)phenol
CAS Number
PubChem CID
PubChem SID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
ECHA InfoCard100.038.552 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC13H21NO3
Molar mass239.315 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
ChiralityRacemic mixture
  • CC(C)(C)NCC(C1=CC(=C(C=C1)O)CO)O
  • InChI=1S/C13H21NO3/c1-13(2,3)14-7-12(17)9-4-5-11(16)10(6-9)8-15/h4-6,12,14-17H,7-8H2,1-3H3 checkY
  • Key:NDAUXUAQIAJITI-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
 ☒NcheckY (what is this?)  (verify)

Salbutamol, also known as albuterol and sold under the brand name Ventolin among others,[1] is a medication that opens up the medium and large airways in the lungs.[8] It is a short-acting β2 adrenergic receptor agonist that causes relaxation of airway smooth muscle.[8] It is used to treat asthma, including asthma attacks and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).[8] It may also be used to treat high blood potassium levels.[9] Salbutamol is usually used with an inhaler or nebulizer, but it is also available in a pill, liquid, and intravenous solution.[8][10] Onset of action of the inhaled version is typically within 15 minutes and lasts for two to six hours.[8]

Common side effects include shakiness, headache, fast heart rate, dizziness, and feeling anxious.[8] Serious side effects may include worsening bronchospasm, irregular heartbeat, and low blood potassium levels.[8] It can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but safety is not entirely clear.[8][11]

Salbutamol was patented in 1966 in Britain and became commercially available in the UK in 1969.[12][13] It was approved for medical use in the United States in 1982.[8] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[14] Salbutamol is available as a generic medication.[8] In 2022, it was the seventh most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 59 million prescriptions.[15][16]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference brands was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Thereaputic Goods Administration (19 December 2018). "Prescribing medicines in pregnancy database". Australian Government.
  3. ^ "Albuterol Use During Pregnancy". Drugs.com. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  4. ^ "FDA-sourced list of all drugs with black box warnings (Use Download Full Results and View Query links.)". nctr-crs.fda.gov. FDA. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  5. ^ Thereaputic Goods Administration. "Poisons Standard October 2017". Australian Government.
  6. ^ "Prescription Drug List". Government of Canada. 23 October 2014.
  7. ^ "Respiratory health". Health Canada. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Albuterol". Drugs.com. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  9. ^ Mahoney BA, Smith WA, Lo DS, Tsoi K, Tonelli M, Clase CM (April 2005). "Emergency interventions for hyperkalaemia". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2005 (2): CD003235. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003235.pub2. PMC 6457842. PMID 15846652.
  10. ^ Starkey ES, Mulla H, Sammons HM, Pandya HC (September 2014). "Intravenous salbutamol for childhood asthma: evidence-based medicine?" (PDF). Archives of Disease in Childhood. 99 (9): 873–7. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2013-304467. PMID 24938536. S2CID 2070868. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 September 2017.
  11. ^ Yaffe SJ (2011). Drugs in pregnancy and lactation: a reference guide to fetal and neonatal risk (9th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 32. ISBN 9781608317080. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
  12. ^ Landau R (1999). Pharmaceutical innovation: revolutionizing human health. Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Press. p. 226. ISBN 9780941901215. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
  13. ^ Fischer J, Ganellin CR (2006). Analogue-based Drug Discovery. John Wiley & Sons. p. 542. ISBN 9783527607495.
  14. ^ World Health Organization (2023). The selection and use of essential medicines 2023: web annex A: World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 23rd list (2023). Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/371090. WHO/MHP/HPS/EML/2023.02.
  15. ^ "The Top 300 of 2022". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Albuterol Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2022". ClinCalc. Retrieved 30 August 2024.