Using Salbutamol for children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was consulted with Specialist II Chung Thi Mong Thuy - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatal, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
Salbutamol is a medicine used to treat asthma in children. However, improper use of the drug and inadequate dosage will cause loss of effectiveness and seriously affect the health of children.

1. What is salbutamol?

Salbutamol is a respiratory smooth muscle relaxant. It helps relieve bronchospasm, helps open the bronchi, and helps relieve shortness of breath or wheezing. Salbutamol is a fast-acting bronchodilator. Salbutamol is commonly used in patients with asthma.
On the market Salbutamol has many different names and has many different forms of use, Ventolin is the most commonly used brand name drug, circulated in the form of tablets, dry powder for inhalation (Diskus), liquid spray solution. aerosol or as oral syrup ...

2. Note when using Salbutamol for children

This is a drug that must be prescribed by a doctor, the child's family should not buy it on their own. Families need to inform the doctor about the use of Salbutamol in children when they have other diseases, especially children under 6 years old. Parents need to be careful when using the following drugs:
Baby with heart or blood vessel disease hyperthyroidism (thyroidism) overactive High blood pressure Irregular heartbeat which may include tachycardia and seizures Children taking Salbutamol needs to be prescribed by a doctor or pharmacist, or in the case of a change in dosage, a doctor's opinion is required. Depending on the different ages, the progression of the disease, the doctor chooses to use different drugs. In case bamboo needs to be inhaled, a spacer can be used to help the medicine get into the lungs more easily.
In order to prevent an asthma attack, you can use Salbutamol 15-20 minutes before exercising.
When you forget, do not take two doses at the same time to make up for the missed dose. Therefore, in case you forget to take a pill, you can skip it and take the next dose. Depending on the route of administration, the duration of action of the drug will vary. For the inhaled form, the effect begins in 5-10 minutes or 30 minutes for the oral form.

3. Side effects when using Salbutamol

Most medications can cause side effects, and so is Salbutamol. In the event of side effects, consult your doctor for advice. Some of the side effects of using Salbutamol include:
Red skin Headache Feeling nervous, restless, agitated or shaky Fast heartbeat (sometimes slow or irregular) Bitter taste Dry mouth Sore throat and cough Can't sleep In addition, there are also some rare side effects. In this case, you should call a doctor or take the child to the emergency room immediately to avoid possible dangers to the child. These side effects can be: wheezing, chest tightness, fever, itching, severe cough, blue skin, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat. It is possible that the child will have abnormal behaviors that cannot control breathing, causing seizures...

4. Some safety measures when using Salbutamol

Always stay in touch with your doctor to check your child's response to Salbutamol. In specific cases, the doctor will adjust the dose to suit the child. You should pay attention to the warning signs that your child's asthma is getting worse so that you can take your child to the doctor and get treatment in time. Some of those symptoms are: coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or severe shortness of breath. Medicines should not be shared with others, nor should your child use someone else's medicine. Use the correct amount and correct dosage as prescribed by your doctor. Keep Salbutamol at room temperature, in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight. Do not use expired medicine.

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