Retrospective comparison of nebulized levalbuterol and albuterol for adverse events in patients with acute airflow obstruction

Complications and Pharmacologic Interventions of Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation During Critical Illness

Objective: To review the fundamentals of invasive positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) and the common complications and associated pharmacotherapeutic management in order to provide opportunities for pharmacists to improve patient outcomes. Data Sources: A MEDLINE literature search (1950-December 2017) was performed using the key search terms invasive positive pressure ventilation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacist, respiratory failure, ventilator associated organ dysfunction, ventilator associated pneumonia, ventilator bundles, and ventilator liberation. Additional references were identified from a review of literature citations. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language original research and review reports were evaluated. Data Synthesis: IPPV is a common supportive care measure for critically ill patients. While lifesaving, IPPV is associated with significant complications including ventilator-associated pneumonia, sinusitis, organ dysfunction, and hemodynamic alterations. Optimization of pain and sedation management provides an opportunity for pharmacists to directly affect IPPV exposure. A number of pharmacotherapeutic interventions are related directly to prophylaxis against IPPV-associated adverse events or aimed at reduction of duration of IPPV. Conclusions: Enhanced knowledge of the common complications, associated pharmacotherapy, and monitoring strategies facilitate the pharmacist's ability to provide increased pharmacotherapeutic insight in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit setting.

Asthma Review for Pharmacists Providing Asthma Education

Asthma is the most common pediatric illness affecting more than 6 million children in the United States. Children with asthma have more frequent office visits and hospitalizations compared with adults. Despite advances in therapies, asthma still has a significant effect on the health care system. Regardless of the setting, pharmacists are uniquely equipped with an intimate knowledge of medications. With this knowledge, they can provide education to patients at various points throughout the health care system, from hospitalization to office visits to point of pick up at the pharmacy. The goal of this article is to equip the pharmacist with the necessary knowledge to provide education to these patients in a variety of practice settings, including community pharmacies, ambulatory care settings, and during transitions in care.

Safety of Levalbuterol Compared to Albuterol in Patients With a Tachyarrhythmia

Objective: To determine the safety of levalbuterol versus albuterol in patients with a tachyarrhythmia. Data Sources: A PubMed search was conducted using the MeSH search terms levalbuterol, albuterol, and tachyarrhythmia. Bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed for additional citations. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Search results were limited to humans and randomized controlled trials. Those studies that excluded patients with predetermined tachyarrhythmias were excluded from this review. Trials that failed to compare levalbuterol and albuterol outcomes were excluded. Data Synthesis: Beta-2 receptor agonists are the mainstay of treatment in patients with respiratory disease, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Racemic albuterol has been linked to poor outcomes due to the fact that it contains both the S-isomer and the R-isomer. Levalbuterol, the “pure” R-isomer, has been thought to decrease cardiac side effects since it only contains the therapeutic component of the racemic mixture. Patients with tachyarrhythmias are at an increased probability to experience harmful, if not fatal, cardiac side effects from these drugs. Limitations of current studies include a lack of data in patient populations with baseline tachyarrhythmias. Conclusions: Tachyarrhythmias put a patient at increased risk of poor outcomes, including death. Evidence for using either racemic albuterol or levalbuterol for respiratory disease management in these patients is lacking and insufficient. Randomized controlled trials show that in intensive care unit patient populations there is no clear advantage to using levalbuterol over albuterol; however, this did not hold true in pediatric populations. No clinical trials exist that look at a direct comparison of these 2 agents in patients with underlying tachyarrhythmias. Further research into the most efficacious and safe β-2 receptor agonists in this specialized patient population should be conducted to help reduce potential harmful outcomes.

Pharmacology and therapeutics of bronchodilators

Bronchodilators are central in the treatment of of airways disorders. They are the mainstay of the current management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and are critical in the symptomatic management of asthma, although controversies around the use of these drugs remain. Bronchodilators work through their direct relaxation effect on airway smooth muscle cells. at present, three major classes of bronchodilators, β(2)-adrenoceptor (AR) agonists, muscarinic receptor antagonists, and xanthines are available and can be used individually or in combination. The use of the inhaled route is currently preferred to minimize systemic effects. Fast- and short-acting agents are best used for rescue of symptoms, whereas long-acting agents are best used for maintenance therapy. It has proven difficult to discover novel classes of bronchodilator drugs, although potential new targets are emerging. Consequently, the logical approach has been to improve the existing bronchodilators, although several novel broncholytic classes are under development. An important step in simplifying asthma and COPD management and improving adherence with prescribed therapy is to reduce the dose frequency to the minimum necessary to maintain disease control. Therefore, the incorporation of once-daily dose administration is an important strategy to improve adherence. Several once-daily β(2)-AR agonists or ultra-long-acting β(2)-AR-agonists (LABAs), such as indacaterol, olodaterol, and vilanterol, are already in the market or under development for the treatment of COPD and asthma, but current recommendations suggest the use of LABAs only in combination with an inhaled corticosteroid. In addition, some new potentially long-acting antimuscarinic agents, such as glycopyrronium bromide (NVA-237), aclidinium bromide, and umeclidinium bromide (GSK573719), are under development, as well as combinations of several classes of long-acting bronchodilator drugs, in an attempt to simplify treatment regimens as much as possible. This review will describe the pharmacology and therapeutics of old, new, and emerging classes of bronchodilator.

Stereoconfiguration of antiallergic and immunologic drugs

OBJECTIVE

To review the concept of chirality and its current role in the pharmacology of antiallergic, antiasthmatic, and immunologic agents.

DATA SOURCES

Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed databases from 1950 to the present time were searched.

STUDY SELECTION

Articles that described the pharmacology of chiral antiallergic, antiasthmatic, and immunologic medications were used for this review.

RESULTS

Stereoselectivity affects the pharmacologic profiles of medications in different ways from class to class and within the classes. This summary illustrates that enantiomers differ not only in potency in receptor binding and physiologic effects but also in pharmacokinetic parameters such as volume of distribution, plasma protein binding, metabolism, and clearance. Different enantiomers may produce unrelated pharmacologic effects as well. This review summarizes the variety of possible effects that different stereoisomers may produce and further underlines the importance of the purification and in-depth analysis of chiral compounds.

CONCLUSION

Chirality plays an important role in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of various pharmaceutical agents. The importance of stereoisomeric purity in the pharmacologic industry has increased during the past decade as demonstrated by the increased number of studies that examined the in vivo and in vitro effects produced by changes in stereoconfiguration of pharmaceutical agents. This review highlights such effects in certain frequently used medications used in the treatment of asthma and various allergic and immunologic disorders.

Effects of albuterol isomers on the contraction and Ca2+ signaling of small airways in mouse lung slices

The beta(2)-adrenergic agonist, albuterol, is used as a bronchodilator by patients with asthma and consists of a racemic mixture of (R)- and (S)-albuterol. However, the action of the individual enantiomers is poorly understood. Consequently, we investigated the effects of (R)-, (S)- and racemic-albuterol on airway smooth muscle cell (SMC) contraction and Ca(2+) signaling in mouse lung slices with phase-contrast and confocal microscopy. (R)-albuterol relaxed airways contracted with methacholine (MCh) in a dose-dependent manner. By contrast, (S)-albuterol had no effect on airways. (R)-albuterol had a greater relaxant effect than a double concentration of racemic albuterol. Because MCh-induced contraction of airway SMCs is mediated by Ca(2+) oscillations and an increase in Ca(2+) sensitivity, the effects of albuterol on these responses were examined. Both (R)- and racemic albuterol decreased the frequency of the MCh-induced Ca(2+) oscillations by a similar amount. However, (R)-albuterol was more effective than racemic albuterol in decreasing the Ca(2+) sensitivity of the airway SMCs in "model" lung slices with a clamped [Ca(2+)](i). In contrast, (S)-albuterol had no effect on the Ca(2+) oscillations or the Ca(2+) sensitivity. In conclusion, (R)-albuterol consistently induced a greater airway relaxation than racemic albuterol, and (S)-albuterol appears to be responsible for this reduced efficacy.

Evaluation of albuterol 1.25 mg and 0.62 mg for nebulization in 6- to 12-year-old children with moderately severe asthma

To assess the efficacy and safety of 2 different strengths of a manufactured albuterol solution for nebulization (AccuNeb(R); DEY, L.P., Napa, Calif), 349 children with moderate to severe asthma were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. For 4 wk, children 6 to 12 y old were randomly assigned to 1.25 mg (A1) or 0.62 mg (A2) albuterol or placebo (P), nebulized 3 times daily for 4 weeks. Pulmonary function and safety were evaluated at weeks 0, 2, and 4 (visits 2-4). Nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon's rank-sum) were used to compare treatments. Primary endpoint (week 4, %Delta area under the curve [AUC] forced expiratory volume in 1 sec [FEV(1)]) results for A1, A2, and P were 90.3% x h*, 73.6% x h*, and 34.2% x h. Secondary assessments for A1, A2, and P were as follows: (1) week 2, %DeltaAUC FEV1 (99.5%*h*, 104.5% x h*, and 43.6% x h); (2) maximum FEV1 (28.6%*, 26.3%*, and 13.4%); and (3) duration of effect (116.8 min*, 115.9 min*, and 39.2 min). A2 was more effective in children 10 y of age or younger and in children 11 to 12 y of age who weighed </=40 kg or had less severe asthma; A1 was more effective in children 11 to 12 y of age who weighed >40 kg or had more severe asthma. Adverse events (occurring in 47% of children) were considered unrelated to drug treatment. Observations on electrocardiogram (notably QTc interval) were similar to those for placebo. A1 and A2 appeared effective in improving pulmonary function and were well tolerated in children aged 6 to 12 y.

Management of Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the Elderly

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a debilitating disease with rising worldwide prevalence. Exacerbations of COPD cause significant morbidity and become more common with advancing age. Healthcare providers caring for elderly patients should therefore be familiar with effective treatments for exacerbations of COPD. An extensive body of literature has identified several effective drug therapies for exacerbations. These drugs include inhaled bronchodilators, systemic corticosteroids and antibacterials. The two main classes of inhaled bronchodilators are beta-adrenoceptor agonists and anticholinergics. These drugs optimise lung function during exacerbations, with neither class demonstrating clear superiority over the other. Systemic corticosteroids are effective when used either for inpatient or outpatient treatment of exacerbations. They hasten recovery from exacerbations and reduce relapse rates. Antibacterials decrease morbidity from exacerbations and may decrease mortality in the more severe exacerbations. Other effective therapies for the treatment of acute exacerbations of COPD include oxygen and non-invasive ventilation. Oxygen can be safely administered in acute exacerbations associated with hypoxaemia, with titration of oxygen delivery to a goal oxygen saturation of 90%. Non-invasive ventilation reduces the morbidity and mortality associated with acute exacerbations complicated by hypercapnic respiratory failure. Strategies to prevent COPD exacerbations include smoking cessation, long-acting inhaled beta-adrenoceptor agonists, inhaled long-acting anticholinergics, inhaled corticosteroids and vaccination. Mucolytic agents, pulmonary rehabilitation, and case management programmes may also reduce exacerbation risk, but the current evidence supporting these interventions is weaker.

Past, present and future--beta2-adrenoceptor agonists in asthma management

The beta-adrenoceptor agonists (beta-agonists) have been used to relieve bronchoconstriction for at least 5000 years. beta-agonists are based on adrenaline and early forms, such as isoprenaline, Lacked bronchial selectivity and had unpleasant side effects. Modern beta-agonists are more selective for the beta2-adrenoceptors (beta2-receptors) located in bronchial smooth muscle and have less cardiotoxicity. Traditional beta2-adrenoceptor agonists (beta2-agonists), such as salbutamol, terbutaline and fenoterol, were characterised by a rapid onset but relatively short duration of action. While valuable as reliever medication, their short duration gave inadequate night-time relief and limited protection from exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. beta2-agonists with longer durations of action, formoterol and salmeterol, were subsequently discovered or developed. When combined with inhaled corticosteroids they improved lung function, and reduced symptoms and exacerbations more than an increased dose of corticosteroids. However, tolerance to the bronchprotective effects of long-acting beta2-agonists and cross-tolerance to the bronchodilator effects of short-acting beta2-agonists is apparent despite use of inhaled corticosteroids. The role of beta2-receptor polymorphisms in the development of tolerance has yet to be fully determined. Formoterol is unique in having both a long-lasting bronchodilator effect (> 12 h) and a fast onset of action (1-3min from inhalation), making it effective both as maintenance and reliever medication. The recent change in classification from short- and long-acting beta2-agonists to rapid-acting and/or long-acting agents reflects the ongoing evolution of beta2-agonist therapy.