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4.4: Beta-2 Agonists

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    Albuterol is a Beta-2 agonist.

    Mechanism of Action: Albuterol is a selective Beta-2 agonist primarily used to cause bronchodilation in the lungs. However, Beta-2 receptors in the heart can also be stimulated, causing cardiovascular side effects.

    Indications: Albuterol is commonly used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

    Nursing Considerations: Monitor respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and lungs sounds before and after administration. If more than one inhalation is ordered, wait at least 2 minutes between inhalations. Use a spacer device to improve drug delivery, if appropriate.

    Adverse Effects: Albuterol can cause hypersensitivity or paradoxical bronchospasm. It can also produce a clinically significant cardiovascular effect in some patients by causing increased heart rate and blood pressure, which may require the drug to be discontinued.

    Patient Teaching & Education: Patients should remain compliant with the medication dosing regimen. Individuals should contact their healthcare provider if they experience ongoing shortness of breath unrelieved with medication therapy. If using an inhaler, the patient should be sure to prime the inhaler prior to administering the dose of medication. The medication can cause an unusual taste in the mouth, so patients should rinse their mouth with water after each use.[1]

    Now let’s take a closer look at the medication grid on albuterol in Table 4.13.[2]

    Table 4:13 Albuterol Medication Grid

    Class/Subclass

    Prototype/Generic

    Administration Considerations

    Therapeutic Effects

    Side/Adverse Effects
    Beta-2 agonist albuterol If more than 1 inhalation is ordered, wait at least 2 minutes between inhalations

    Use spacer device to improve drug delivery, if appropriate

    		 Bronchodilation in asthma or COPD Hypersensitivity

    Can cause paradoxical bronchospasm

    Report significantly increased heart rate and blood pressure, which may require the drug to be discontinued
    1. uCentral from Unbound Medicine. https://www.unboundmedicine.com/ucentral↵
    2. This work is a derivative of Daily Med by U.S. National Library of Medicine in the public domain. ↵

    This page titled 4.4: Beta-2 Agonists is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Ernstmeyer & Christman (Eds.) (OpenRN) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.