Knowing Albuterol Pharmacology is super important to the EMT or Paramedic provider. In this video we break down Albuterol and detail what it is, how it works, the indications for use and the potential side effects. This in depth Albuterol Pharmacology video is everything an EMT or Paramedic needs to understand the use for Albuterol for shortness of breath in the field.
Hey squad welcome back to the channel on today’s video we showcase one of the most used ems medications albuterol albuterol is a potent beta receptor agonist if you’ve never heard of beta 1 and beta 2 receptors or are unsure of their responses within the body then i highly suggest you watch this video before you continue on in this one it will detail everything you
Need to know about these receptor sites albuterol is used in cases of difficulty breathing most notably in cases secondary to copd and asthma other than the shortness of breath the main symptom you would find is wheezing within the lungs if you hear wheezing during lung auscultation you are hearing the movement of air through constricted bronchi or bronchioles this
Wheezing you hear is an indication for the use of albuterol albuterol is a potent bronchodilator meaning it takes the constricted bronchi and bronchioles and opens them up allowing for better air flow to the alveoli as previously mentioned albuterol manipulates the beta receptors of the body it increases the body’s heart rate by stimulating the beta-1 receptor and
Performs the bronchodilation by stimulating the beta-2 receptors it performs these actions as albuterol is chemically similar to epinephrine it is what’s called a pharmacological derivative epi 2 increases the heart rate and has bronchodilator properties albuterol however was formulated to work with longer half-life and with less harmful side effects ems providers
Normal dose of albuterol is 2.5 milligrams within three milliliters of saline solution we nebulize this fluid into an aerosol gas using six to eight liters per minute of oxygen that the patient then breathes into their lungs ems also has the ability to attach a nebulizer or nebulizer adapter to a bag valve mast often when the patient is unresponsive cpap or even a
Non-rebreather mask however when utilizing the non-rebreather mask you lose quite a bit of medication as it aerosolizes into the atmosphere and not so much into the patient’s lungs it is extremely important that you understand albuterol only works best if it can get into the depths of the lung tissues if your patient has no lung sounds or severely decreased lung
Sounds in the bases you may need to give other medications like epinephrine to help open the lungs along with the albuterol or use delivery methods like the bag valve mask to ensure you deliver medication deep within the lungs via positive pressure ventilations albuterol has been shown to be very effective on standing orders in patients from age 4 to 65 not
Saying it wouldn’t work on someone 65 and older you still would give the medication but be cautious is albuterol has the ability to increase heart rate and could cause dysrhythmias in this patient population ensure a paramedic is on scene or enroute to intercept with you to perform ekg monitoring there is limited data showing albuterol can harm children within
The womb do not withhold albuterol to a pregnant female with wheezing and shortness of breath the hypoxia due to the lack of oxygen within mom will affect the fetus way sooner than the albuterol will well that’s it for today’s video guys as always stay safe out there and i will see you in the next video
Transcribed from video
Albuterol Pharmacology | EMT/Paramedic Medications | Medic Materials By Medic Materials
