Deleterious Effect of Preservative in Continuous Albuterol Solution

Investigators from the University of Florida, Gainesville, conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the effect of use of albuterol containing the preservative benzalkonium chloride (BAC) for continuous nebulization on patient outcomes. Single-dose albuterol products are preservative-free, while multidose preparations contain BAC. The multidose preparations allow for easier and faster pharmacy preparation for continuous nebulization, but BAC has been shown to cause bronchospasm.¹ At the University of Florida Health Shands Children’s Hospital, preservative-free albuterol was used for continuous nebulization until October 2015, when the switch was made to the preparation with BAC. For the current study, the authors identified patients treated during the 18-month period before the change (control group) and those treated in the 18-month period after the change (BAC group) for inclusion in the study. Data on demographics, oxygen saturation, and a standardized asthma …