The use of intravenous isoproterenol in the treatment of status asthmaticus.

The use of intravenous isoproterenol in nineteen children with status asthmaticus who did not respond to standard anti-asthmatic therapy is reported. Six of the fourteen patients who responded favorably had normal blood gases within six hours ten within twelve hours and twelve within eighteen hours; all fourteen of the patients who responded favorably had normal blood gases within twenty-two hours after the drug was begun. Clinically, eleven of the fourteen patients who responded favorably showed improvement in respiratory distress within twelve hours of the institution of therapy. All patients who responded favorably showed some improvement within twenty-eight hours of treatment. There were five treatment failures; two were due to cardiovascular toxicity of isoproterenol, and three to progression in symptomatology that necessitated continuous ventilation with respirators.