Comparative efficacy of salbutamol by pressurized aerosol and wet nebulizer in acute asthma.

1 Cumulative dose-response curves (FEV1) to pressurized aerosol salbutamol were established in 17 patients admitted to hospital with acute severe asthma. After the maximal pressurized aerosol effect had been achieved, a further dose (5 mg) of salbutamol was given by wet nebulizer and any further increment recorded. 2 Baseline FEV1 was 1.16 +/- 0.55 (mean +/- s.d.), an average of 36% of predicted, and the maximal aerosol induced change in FEV1 was 0.435 +/- 0.330 1 (t = 5.72, P < 0.01). There was an additional, small increment in FEV1 after nebulizer of 0.043 +/- 0.085 1 (t = 2.26, P < 0.05). 3 Detailed analysis of the data according to a theoretical dose-response relationship showed that the nebulizer-aerosol increment was unrelated to asthma severity.