Maxair (Pirbuterol) Drug Information: Overdosage and Contraindications

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May 27, 2012

Maxair

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease »

What is COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is comprised primarily of three related conditions - chronic bronchitis, chronic asthma, and emphysema. In each condition there is chronic obstruction of the flow of air through the airways and out of the lungs, and the obstruction generally is permanent and may be progressive over time.

While asthma features obstruction to the flow of air out of the lungs, usually, the obstruction is reversible. Between "attacks" of asthma the flow of air through the airways typically is normal. These patients do not have COPD. However, if asthma is left untreated, the chronic inflammation associated with this disease can cause the airway obstruction to become fixed. That is, between attacks, the asthmatic patient may then have abnormal air flow. This process is referred to as lung remodeling. These asthma patients with a fixed component of airway obstruction are also considered to have COPD.

Often patien...

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OVERDOSE

The expected symptoms with overdosage are those of excessive beta-stimulation and/or any of the symptoms listed under ADVERSE REACTIONS, e.g., seizures, angina, hypertension or hypotension, tachycardia with rates up to 200 beats per minute, arrhythmias, nervousness, headache, tremor, dry mouth, palpitation, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, and insomnia. Hypokalemia may also occur. As with all sympathomimetic aerosol medication, cardiac arrest and even death may be associated with abuse of MAXAIR (pirbuterol) AUTOHALER.

Treatment consists of discontinuation of pirbuterol together with appropriate symptomatic therapy. The judicious use of acardioselective beta-receptor blocker may be considered, bearing in mind that such medication can produce bronchospasm. There is insufficient evidence to determine if dialysis is beneficial for overdosage.

The oral median lethal dose of pirbuterol dihydrochloride in mice and rats is greater than 2000 mg/kg (approximately 3400 and 6800 times the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose for adults on a mg/m² basis).