A Cochrane review included 8 studies with a total of 229 patients. Improvement in respiratory rate, symptom score and oxygen saturation were noted in one study in the emergency department following two salbutamol nebulisers but this had no impact on hospital admission. There was a reduction in bronchial reactivity following salbutamol. There was no significant benefit from taking regular inhaled salbutamol on symptom scores recorded at home.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by inconsistency (heterogeneity in results in different populations) and sparse data.