Nebulised levalbuterol or albuterol for lowering serum potassium

Levalbuterol vs racemic albuterol: science or drug company propaganda?

Levalbuterol is not more cost-effective than albuterol for COPD.

In a recent issue of CHEST, Truitt et al (January 2003)1 claimed that their retrospective chart review demonstrated that “levalbuterol afforded clinical and pharmacoeconomic advantages over racemic albuterol” in the treatment of hospitalized patients with COPD and asthma. The primary end point of the study was the total number of nebulizer treatments required. However, the target care path that...

Levalbuterol compared to racemic albuterol: efficacy and outcomes in patients hospitalized with COPD or asthma.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To compare clinical efficacy, patient outcomes, and medical costs in hospitalized patients treated with levalbuterol to those treated with racemic albuterol. DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING A 180-bed community hospital. PATIENTS Patients admitted to Halifax Regional Hospital with a diagnosis code for COPD or asthma from July 1 to December 31, 1998, and from Jul...

Levalbuterol nebulizer solution: is it worth five times the cost of albuterol?

Albuterol is a 50:50 mixture of R-albuterol, the active enantiomer, and S-albuterol, which appears to be inactive in humans. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved levalbuterol, the pure R-isomer, as a preservative-free nebulizer solution. Published studies indicate that it is neither safer nor more effective than an equimolar dose of racemic albuterol (levalbuterol 1.25 mg = albute...

Comparison of racemic albuterol and levalbuterol in the treatment of acute asthma in the ED.

BACKGROUND Acute asthma is often treated with racemic albuterol, a 1:1 mixture of (R)-albuterol and (S)-albuterol. Levalbuterol is the single-isomer agent comprised (R)-albuterol, an active bronchodilator, without any effects of (S)-albuterol. OBJECTIVE To compare emergency department (ED) admission rates of patients presenting with acute asthma who were treated with either racemic albuterol ...